Cage Of Rot
by Grinning Wolf
Summary: Into the mouth he tilted the bowl and a stream of dark red liquid spattered past the stone teeth, drenching the gems. An offering of wealth and blood to please the demon they were calling upon. "We summon you one of the eight demon Princes of Hell! EARTH KING AMAIMON!" When Amaimon is forcibly summoned and bound to the soul of a frail human a horrifying plot of revenge is revealed!
1. Chapter 1: Wretched Summoning

_**Author's Note:**__** I'm gonna be honest here guys, I'm not quite sure what I'm doing with this story and I'm a bit rusty at writing at the moment but I hope to flesh out the main plot to this story at least in my mind within the next week or so. Despite my hesitation I'm going to go ahead and post this to see if I'm going in the right direction or not and if it's any good and worth continuing. It's been forever since I watched the anime and the manga is a bit slow updating so forgive me if I miss anything. Regardless I'm trying to keep everyone in character so let me know if they get a bit OOC. There is an actual OC in this story but I assure you the main character and focus here is Amaimon! Anyways, enjoy~!**_

**~~~GW~~~**

**Chapter 1: Wretched Summoning**

The cavern was massive in size, buried secretly underneath an unassuming temple. It was dark and dank and countless candles flickered in the slowly circulating air, their bases sealed to the rock with the wax they wept. A large staircase sloped gradually from large heavy wooden doors until it ended in a circular shape. Nestled in the bowels of the earth shadows quivered and lurked in the corners, hiding out of reach of the soft glow of candles. The room seemed to be completely empty despite being filled with people. They stood in hooded cloaks, gathered around the room in a hushed silence. An air of nervousness rippled in the air and the smell of fear was abundant.

With a massive groan the two oaken doors rolled open on hesitant hinges and a murmur spread through the cavern. A group stepped forward forming two lines of people with an elaborately dressed man at the head. He descended the stairs, the people behind him fanning out to join the others standing in a circle, and a young girl dressed in a white gown approached. She was clothed all in white, with a veil flowing around her white hair, soft slipper clad feet padding across the smooth stone floor. Her skin was pale and her eyes fluttered open as she stepped into the room revealing a brilliant emerald color. Nervously she clasped her trembling hands in front of her as if praying and looked down.

Below her the floor of the circular room had been carved in holy ruins, a massive seal ringed with ancient markings and jumbles of symbols had been etched carefully into the smooth stone. Her breath caught fearfully and she managed to quell the terror rising up in her throat. She felt like crying but she'd already been scolded earlier during her cleansing for shedding tears and she was fearful something so trivial would ruin everything. Her heart pounded in her chest like a caged rabbit and she forcefully repeated the words of comfort she'd been fed from the very beginning.

_It's for the greater good. Think of all the lives you'll be saving. You were meant for this. This is your destiny._

With resignation the fragile girl descended the stairs towards the grim priest and stepped onto the great seal. Her slender feet tread carefully past images of great lumbering trees, jagged peaks of mountains and crawling streams of water. In the center a horrid demonic face leered at her from the stone and a shiver of apprehension raced up her spine.

* * *

Amaimon's mouth felt extremely lonely at the moment and his level of boredom was quickly reaching a catastrophic level that promised mayhem. He was currently slouched on top of a bookshelf, legs kicking impatiently over the side as he listened to the faint scratch of a pen. Below him Mephisto was perched primly behind his desk, attention focused on the important papers before him. Amaimon's long nails dug into his pockets in search for a sweet to occupy his mouth and he promptly came up empty, a frown twisting his mouth.

"Brother." He called from his perch, fingers curling around the top shelf as he leaned dangerously forward. "Have you any sweets?" He called and Mephisto sighed, pausing in his writing.

"Have you eaten all the ones I gave you?" He demanded, a headache already forming from the mess he'd had to deal with that day. Student injuries from a training exercise gone wrong, complaints from teachers at the academy and a slew of trouble caused by their very own younger brother.

"Yes, was I not supposed to?" Amaimon pouted, tilting his head to the side.

"Not all at once. You should have saved some. You're much too impatient little brother." Mephisto groused, scribbling a few notes down. Amaimon pouted.

"I was hungry..." Silence. "Brother I'm bored." He blinked expectantly and when Mephisto ignored him he frowned unhappily. "I'm _bored_, nothing ever happens here."

"Then go entertain yourself." Mephisto ground out and Amaimon perked up.

"I will! I'll find younger brother, he'll provide fun!" The demon prince grinned and Mephisto's head shot up.

"Absolutely not! I'm still dealing with the trouble you two caused the last time!" He snapped, gloved fingers clenching forcefully around his pen. "And no terrorizing the humans, you've gained enough attention as it is!" The two brothers glared stubbornly back at one another, Mephisto daring Amaimon to object. Finally the younger demon averted his gaze, hunched over on his shelf as he gnawed at the fingernail on his thumb.

"You're no fun." He grumbled and Mephisto twitched.

"No fun? No fun! I give you sweets and play games with you when you whine of boredom! Leave me be Amaimon I have work to do!" He growled. "No fun! I'm as fun as can be!" The older demon grumbled to himself, his pride stung. Amaimon's irritation ratcheted up another level and he glared down at Mephisto a full on pout darkening his face. The room lapsed back into silence and his eyes narrowed. Mephisto never hesitated to pay Rin any attention when he called for it so why couldn't Amaimon do the same? Rin didn't even want the attention half the time! He always seemed to have countless weakling humans that demanded his attention. _Maybe I should steal one of them again?_ Amaimon thought briefly, eyes falling on Mephisto again. A glimmer of something hot and sharp curled in his stomach like a fiery worm and watching his brother closely he carefully inched his hand downwards. His fingers closed around a book resting on the top shelf below him and slyly he pulled it free, letting the rather old looking tome flop open in his hands. Tongue clenched between his sharp fangs he carefully seized one of the delicate pages between two clawed fingers and promptly ripped the page free with a ridiculously loud shredding noise.

Mephisto froze.

"….Did you just-?" Another horrible ripping sound interrupted him and he flinched, looking up at Amaimon with horror as a page fluttered weakly to the ground. His eyes followed it down to its resting place and his mouth smoothed itself into a very thin line. That was the last straw. Their eyes met again and briefly Amaimon wondered if he had made a mistake. It was easy to forget how frightening and downright _deadly_ his older brother could be until he was wearing _that_ kind of expression. The chair scraped back with a loud screech and suddenly Amaimon felt fear as he released the book, scampering from the top of the bookshelf with nimble speed as Mephisto lunged for him. He dropped to the floor, making a break for the door when a pop sounded in his ear and a cloud of pink engulfed him. A gloved hand seized the back of his jacket and shook him roughly as Mephisto hauled him to his feet.

"You're worse than a child!" Mephisto growled, thrusting his nose in Amaimon's face. "A temperamental child with nothing better to do than annoy me! Do you _know_ how old that book was?" He demanded and Amaimon simpered in his hands, a pout on his face as he gnawed at a black fingernail. "Even Rin acts more mature than you!" Oh well now that hurt. "Do you even do anything useful? Surely you must have a tree to tend or an earthquake to cause?" Ouch. Wait…was Mephisto _asking_ him to wreck the human world? Confused Amaimon opened his mouth to ask only to be shaken again. "Any more trouble from you little brother and I'll send you back to Gehenna!" Mephisto threatened darkly and the younger demon shrank back and pursed his lips in a frown. He _certainly_ didn't want that. There was even less to do at home and hardly any sweets to pillage.

The flamboyant man took his silence as understanding and he released his brother, stomping back to his desk. He sat down with a huff and waved his hand, dismissing Amaimon from the office. "Go entertain yourself and stay out of trouble before my patience fails!" He snapped. The Earth King picked himself up off of the floor, his gaze flickering over to the torn book cast aside on the floor and then back to his exasperated brother. Was that it? He fidgeted, feeling rather scorned. That was the extent of his attention-err punishment? Not that he should argue. With a scalded expression on his normally neutral face, Amaimon dusted himself off and vanished from the room. Mephisto sighed, rubbing at his carefully styled goatee with agitation as he turned his attention back to the paper he'd been studying. There was word that someone had been investigating into the eight Princes of Hell as of late. Pages torn from ancient tomes, crumbling manuscripts mysteriously stolen, and questions quietly asked when they shouldn't be. His eyes flickered to the mangled book lying at the foot of the bookcase and his brow furrowed, eyes narrowing in thought.

* * *

In his irritated temper Amaimon raided a sweets shop along the way, plundering their supply of lollipops and refusing to leave behind money just to spite Mephisto. He summoned lowly demons to run amok and terrorize the town's people, feeling a small amount of satisfaction at the sound of humans screaming. The demons scurried gleefully about, digging up flower beds, throwing trash cans about and yanking at the clothes and hair of passerby's. Contained chaos unleashed itself at Amaimon's bidding-nothing too serious but enough to cause his older brother a headache. Satisfaction rumbling in his chest like a content cat, Amaimon strolled down the dirt path to a forest nearby, a colorful lollipop tucked into his mouth. The delicious flavor flooded his mouth and he sighed with satisfaction. He abruptly felt a slight twinge of regret as his brother's irritated expression popped into his mind. Maybe he'd apologize later? And by apologize he meant bringing Mephisto a bag of the candy he'd just stolen and most likely eating it all by himself later. A smirk tugged at his lips when suddenly he lurched to a stop, eyes flying wide open. The lollipop slipped from his mouth and fell to the ground, shattering like sugary glass. His hand clutched at his chest, nails digging into the pale flesh as a whimper escaped his lips.

_What was this?_

* * *

The preparations were complete.

The candles shuddered, light flickering eerily across the stone walls as the thrum of many voices chanting as one filled the room. The Priest stood before her, arms held high as she shivered, hands clutched tightly together. Her eyes were pressed firmly closed, goose bumps running along her flesh. The chanting continued, rising in volume as words of some foreign language spilled from their mouths like vomit and sunk to the ground. Into the maw of the carved demon's face the Priest carefully placed a pile of precious gems before he held before him a stone bowl. Into the mouth he tilted the bowl and a stream of glimmering dark red liquid spattered past the stone teeth and drenched the gems. An offering of wealth and blood to please the creature they were calling upon. Their eyes met. His calm and firm, hers terrified and filled with innocence. She didn't want to think who that blood belonged to.

"Your sacrifice will not be in vain dear Camellia! The crops will flourish, rain will come and the ground will thrive! The land will be rich and people shall live healthily!" He insisted and she turned her eyes downward, trying not to see the pool of blood shimmering in the mouth of the demon.

"I understand…I am…_honored_ to help so many…" She whispered and he smiled, pleased.

"Stand brave my lamb and brace yourself!" He cried. From his robes he withdrew a silver knife and held his other hand out to her. She hesitated, standing in the very center of the large seal before very slowly she reached out and placed her slender hand in his. With the knife he drew blood across her palm and then rolled her fingers so that she clenched her hand into a fist. "Prepare yourself!" He commanded and hastily exited the seal, resuming his position around the ring of symbols. He threw his hands upwards, gesturing towards the ceiling of the massive cave. "We call upon you in our time of peril-humble and weak! Our souls soiled and willing!" He boomed, voice cutting through the constant chanting like a knife. "The lands have dried! Life shriveled and died! Humans starve and pestilence thrives!" Camellia's breath caught in her throat and she wavered, her hand outstretched at the ready over the leering face of the stone demon. She half expected it to rear up and snap her arms off with its bared teeth. Tears beaded her eyes against her will and she struggled to blink them away. This is what she'd been prepared for. This was her destiny. The voices beat a tempo in her brain. Hearts beating rapidly. Their words reverberated throughout the cave. The tension built in the room, an earthy smell of damp soil and vegetation flooding their noses. The air grew heavy and hard to breathe and the pressure built until it felt like they were being smothered.

"Please God…" She choked. "-let this work!"

"We summon you one of the eight demon Princes of Hell! EARTH KING AMAIMON!" He screamed and Camellia tilted her hand, squeezing tightly as pearls of ruby red blood dribbled from her clenched fingers and quivered before falling silently to the puddle at her feet. In a flash the pool of blood ignited with fire and traces of light shot out flooding the carved lines with a glow. The seal lit up in a surge of power and a gust of wind snapped their hair and clothing back. The very ground began to shudder and tremble beneath their feet. Cracks began to split the stone and green tendrils of vines wriggled from the fissures like eerily living creatures. Vegetation erupted in sprouts of green and in one corner a tree blossomed, twisting and clawing its way to the surface. Cries pierced the air and feet stumbled from their positions as the humans shrank back in fear, terror filling their eyes and hearts.

"HOLD STEADY! We must keep the seal intact! He mustn't break it!" The Priest shouted above the chaos. "If we fail it means death! Death for everyone! We must prevail!" The wind swirled about in a vicious gust and suddenly from the cracks in the earth the chilling sound of scratching and clawing could be heard. And from the ground the demons burst, claws scrabbling for purchase against the smooth stone. Their mouths gaped open, saliva ribboning from the fangs as awful snarls and hoots struck the air. They hauled themselves free from the encasing earth and launched themselves at the nearest flesh, mauling and snarling and ripping as terrified screams filled the air. Camellia clapped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes so tightly they ached as she screamed and shook, unable to move from the seal. And suddenly above all of the clamor and screaming and cries of terror and agony, a greater voice rose. The sound of a horrible wailing grew in power until the screech blocked out all other noises and forced them to cover their ears. It pierced the very air and the earth rumbled and hissed in agony as the demons trembled and cowered in fear. It was painful. Painful to the ears. It was so shrill it caused an ache in her heart. It was a scream of agony and fury. A scream of indignation and temperamental _rage_…

And it was coming from right in front of her.

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** So what'd you guys think so far? I greatly appreciate reviews-especially in this case! I find the more I look into details concerning Ao no Exorcist the more confused I become on some things. There's stated to be Eight Demon Princes (sometimes they call them kings?) despite in actual religion there supposedly only being seven? Also five of them are in control of or concerning the elements fire, rot, air, water and earth with Amaimon being the Earth King. The manga really hasn't gotten all that far demon prince and hell wise so please bear with me. If you spot something incorrect lemme know! Also keep an eye out as this first chapter may be rewritten if I change an idea (sheepish). Thanks for reading and please REVIEW!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Writings of the Flesh

_**Author's Note:**__** Hey guys! I'm going to go ahead and post chapter two! Still not quite sure where I'm going with this but I think I have a better idea now. Wow thanks so much for the reviews so far! I'm thrilled to see the positive reactions and it's really motivating me! Poor Amaimon…lol.**_

**~~~GW~~~**

"_We summon you one of the eight demon Princes of Hell! EARTH KING AMAIMON!" The sound of a horrible wailing grew in power until the screech blocked out all other noises and forced them to cover their ears. It was painful. Painful to the ears. It was so shrill it caused an ache in her heart. It was a scream of agony and fury. A scream of indignation and temperamental rage…_

_And it was coming from right in front of her._

**Chapter 2: Writings of the Flesh**

Noise seemed to cease for Camellia in a static blur of silence. Goblins flew and leapt about in a frenzied state and people's mouths moved silently, eyes so wide the whites could be seen. Coal tar swarmed the air so thickly it created a giant black cloud that swirled about the cavern in anxiety. For some unexplainable reason her eyes flickered downwards towards the glowing seal and her heart leapt into her throat and promptly froze. From the mouth of the stone demon's face one pale, slender hand was emerging, long black nails tipping each finger. It slithered from between the smooth teeth and paused a moment before the fingers clawed at the surface, fingernails scraping the stone with a chilling noise. Vaguely she realized someone was screaming a high pitched, horrified scream before abruptly realizing it was her. An arm followed the hand out of the portal trailed quickly by the sleeve of a rather tattered coat. Shoulders hunched, the stone rippling like it was made of some malleable liquid and a pale neck appeared followed by a rather pointed ear. And suddenly a widened eye appeared ringed in dark shadows. The pupil was a brilliant blue-green in color and was narrowed into a menacing slit in the expanse of white surrounding it. There was a flash of pearly, viciously sharp teeth and a glimpse of green hair and then Camellia's haggard scream cut off abruptly with a _mmph_ sound. She'd almost expected some horribly mutilated, horrific beastly creature with blood dripping from jagged fangs and red glowing eyes. Surely the great Earth King of the demons had to be some hulking, giant powerful beast that rent fear in the hearts of humans simply by looking at it? What she hadn't expected was a rather scraggly looking, oddly dressed teenage boy with a bored expression on his face to appear.

What she _really_ hadn't expected was for him to lunge forward with an astonishing speed and clap the clawed hand that had first appeared over her mouth. Her scream ceased as he seized her face roughly in his hand, nails pricking threateningly at the flesh. His brilliant eyes rotated around the room with mild interest before finally landing on her terrified face. His lips parted over sharp teeth.

"You're noisy." He stated rather bluntly, a tone of irritation coloring his words. She blinked in astonishment at his completely impassive appearance. The demon looked utterly withdrawn from the situation, as if being forcibly summoned to a dark cave filled with chanting monks had absolutely _nothing_ to do with him. He looked almost childish. Almost…_harmless_…

The Priest seemed to snap out of whatever stunned trance he had been in and with a shout he scrambled to the edge of the seal, arms thrown wide.

"We must complete the binding! Hurry before it's too late!" His voice lapsed into a deep chanting and suddenly the demon drew back, releasing his grip from her face, her ivory hair brushing past his dangerous fingers.

"What is this?" He muttered, turning with an apathetic expression to look down at the seal the two of them were standing on. Something seemed to dawn on him and his gaze turned to the huddle of goblins, eyes narrowing in temperamental irritation. The demons chattered and clawed at the stone beneath them, as if asking for permission and then with a brief smirk he flicked his fingers in their direction. "_Feed_~" He commanded and the goblins leapt into immediate action, launching themselves at the faces of the chanting monks. Jaws snapped around the fragile necks, tearing at soft tissue as blood spurted the ground in streaks of crimson. Screams of horror erupted into the air again and as one monk fell another would rush fearfully into place, resuming the position and picking the chanting up immediately.

She watched as an enthralled expression lit up his eyes, his head turning to watch the chaos and savage murders with kindled interest. No…she had been wrong. There was nothing _harmless_ about this creature. There was nothing even remotely harmless about him!

* * *

Amaimon felt a huff of irritation at being suddenly summoned. It served these presumptuous humans right to be killed for rudely pulling him so far away from the academy and wasting his time. They weren't even that interesting either. They died quite easily and with a ridiculous amount of noise. The Earth King crinkled his nose at the thought of the lecture he would most likely receive from Mephisto. His clawed hand scratched idly at his chest, nails scraping lightly along the flesh. It had hurt too, suddenly being yanked through a portal and wrenched to another place. He could feel the ripple of holy chants and smell the biting scent of holy water drenching the stone around the seal. What on earth were they attempting to do anyways? He thought with mild interest. A whimper beside him caught his attention and he looked down at the girl standing boldly in front of him. Or rather…she looked like she _couldn't_ move despite her clearly wanting to. She was dressed all in white with pale skin and white hair and if he hadn't been a demon and had actually considered them something beautiful, he would have compared her to an angel. Her eyes fluttered open and mossy green eyes stared terrified up at him. They reminded him of the plants that bloomed from his soil and some of the minerals buried carefully in the earth that humans seemed to so love digging up. How _interesting_. He rather liked them he decided, his attention caught by her. Should he take them for his cousin or keep them for himself? He pondered, tongue sticking thoughtfully out of the corner of his lips. He leaned forward, fingers spread apart as the sharp black nails approached her face. She emitted an odd squeaking noise and brought her hands up to cover her mouth, kimono sleeves trailing from her arms.

"Shall I ask cousin for candy in exchange this time?" He asked her seriously and she blinked in confusion, backing further up until her feet stepped outside of the small ring of symbols in the middle.

"W-what?" She stammered and with a blink he suddenly lunged at her. She screamed and stumbled back, watching in astonishment as his hand seemingly hit an invisible wall, the fingers cracking loudly as they were forced back in the joints. His face twitched briefly and he withdrew his hand, shaking out the small itch of pain as his fingers popped back into place. With a frown he curled his hand into a fist and reared back before striking at her again. She flinched back as a crackle of blue electricity erupted in the air between them, a barrier of some kind briefly appearing. A sudden rage filled Amaimon, his temper flaring dangerously as the possible severity of the situation fully hit him. With a snarl of anger he unleashed a flurry of blows on the holy barrier surrounding him. He kicked off of the ground with astonishing power, using the walls of the barrier as a boost and made it a few more feet into the air before being thrown back. Finally he ceased his temperament, crouching low to the ground and biting at the black fingernail of his thumb. His eyes were wide and thoughtful, expression one of pensive worry.

"Brother won't be happy…" He muttered to himself. He rose to his feet and popped his neck. "This seal is annoying. I'll just break it." He stated rather bluntly and Camellia swallowed thickly. Could he really do it so easily? If the seal failed it meant their deaths. With a smirk he extended his arm and snapped his fingers.

And suddenly the boy's lithe frame convulsed, hands seizing in the air and muscles tensing. His eyes bulged, mouth falling open as he howled in agony, tongue arching from his mouth. He stumbled back, his shoulders striking the barrier as he clutched at the spot over his heart. The fit seemed to pass and he stood there panting, eyes wide in shock, chest heaving with his ragged breaths before he was struck again body writhing in jerks and trembles. Camellia winced, a pain suddenly lancing up her arm and she lifted her pale hand, staring in awe as tiny lines began to etch themselves on the back of her hand. Blood welled up in the fresh cuts, a bright red that slid over the pearly flesh and blocked out the sight of the image appearing.

"NOOOOOO!" Amaimon screeched, fury filling his veins like molten lava. He seethed and clawed at the barrier, the demons surrounding him snarling and keening before throwing themselves at the shield of light and promptly bursting apart upon touching it. "HOW DARE YOU!" He screamed, earth cracking at his feet. The ground shivered and quaked, a deep ominous rumbling filling the cave as the world shook at his fury. Rivers of mud and liquefied stone slithered from the ground, crawling up the monk's feet and forcing itself over their mouths and noses. It smothered them, hardening quickly as it poured down open mouths and sealed them forever in stone. The glow from the seal grew brighter-so bright it was painful to look at and rocks began to shower down from the ceiling, breaking apart upon colliding with the ground. Massive stalactites struck the earth, embedding deeply or splitting apart and crumbling. There was a hideous groan and the ground in certain areas began to buckle and ripple before shapes began to form. Massive blocky hands and heads struggled to the surface, giant golems of stone thrusting their bodies upwards with deep rumbling growls, their expansive backs rising from the earth.

Amaimon's body seized again, limbs quaking as he gasped for air and clutched at his chest. Agony spiked through his limbs, converging over his heart and his fingers scrabbled at the flesh, black nails sinking to the tips of his fingers and welling dark blood to the surface. He clawed at his bloody shirt, stumbling back as his body writhed against his commands-out of control. The fabric tore at his frantic touch and he stared down at the seal being carved into his flesh by some invisible force. A brief flicker of fear trailed down his spine and he bit his bottom lip between his sharp teeth in worry, coppery blood flooding his mouth.

"BROTHER!" He screamed, voice cracking as he howled for the one being that usually came to his rescue. The one brother he was really close to. The one who he thought at least remotely cared about him...

Mephisto.

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** A lot going on in this chapter! I feel like it's lacking in some areas though and I'll try to smooth things out from here on. I'm still rusty! I promise things will start becoming clear in the next few chapters! There really *is* a reason why Amaimon has been randomly summoned by these people! Lol! REVIEWS are super appreciated, I love them dearly and they help me improve with writing! Feel free to guess at what you think is going to happen although I won't say if you're correct or not!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Weeping Lands

_**Author's Note:**__** Wow! I really can't believe the attention this story is getting! Thanks so much everyone! Your comments are so inspiring! Someone mentioned some of the paragraphs seemed a bit long so I tried to break them up more this time. The plot is unraveling more and there's more Mephisto in this chapter! Yay! xD Please enjoy~!**_

**~~~GW~~~**

"_BROTHER!" He screamed, voice cracking as he howled for the one being that usually came to his rescue. The one brother he was really close to. The one who he thought at least remotely cared about him…_

_Mephisto._

**Chapter 3: Weeping Lands**

Mephisto let out a relieved sigh and sat back in his chair before neatly placing his flamboyant pink feathered pen in its appropriate holder. He surveyed the stack of completed work before him with a satisfied smirk, pleased that he'd managed to sort through the pile of paperwork without any interruptions. Rin and the other Exwires were studiously focusing in class and he'd managed to quell the indignant demands of the teachers who had been causing a fuss. Amaimon was off doing god knew what but whatever it was it certainly wasn't disturbing him. At least not yet.

His younger brother had a habit of disappearing once he'd been firmly shooed away before returning a day, sometimes _weeks_ later with stories of the odd adventures he'd gotten himself wrapped up in. Anything from learning how his favorite candies were made to spontaneously growing a mountain in the middle of some poor far away town. He would appear suddenly in his office, blinking those owlish eyes at Mephisto while dumping a pile of candy and miscellaneous souvenirs all over his tidy desk. He'd flop down on the plush couch and watch with disinterest as Mephisto rummaged through the pile, squealing excitedly over rare collectible anime items. He _knew_ Mephisto would be pleased with them and that was the reason why he picked them up even though he'd never admit it. Mephisto had long since learned that material wealth didn't matter much to Amaimon and he preferred to travel light and spontaneously.

A smile curled his lips at the thought of the younger demon despite his attempts to stifle it. As much as he tried to deny it…as much as he saw the irony of it and recognized that amongst demons it was rather ridiculous…

He couldn't help but be just the _tiniest_ bit fond of his oddball quirky green haired younger brother. Of course not that he would ever admit it.

If he ever _did_ he'd probably just get that blank stare with the occasional blink of an eye. Actually…he wasn't even sure if Amaimon could grasp the concept of brotherly affection. In his terms it was being given gifts of candy, letting him occasionally run rampant and saving his scrawny ass whenever he got himself into too much trouble. That wasn't to say Mephisto wasn't occasionally strict and if Amaimon _ever_ did something so _stupid_ as to ruin his plans he would definitely _maim_ if not _kill_ the boy.

The flamboyant man sighed and rubbed at his temple, a frown on his face as he caught sight of the injured book resting on the ground. He stood with a sweep of his cape and stooped, lifting the tome and its torn pages with his gloved hands. Amaimon was probably off sulking at this moment. Maybe causing a little bit of trouble just to spite him. Briefly he wondered what poor soul was being tormented for the sake of boredom. Thinking back now he really should have just dug for some spare change for Amaimon to buy sweets with. Mephisto shrugged it off and tucked the pages back into the book to deal with later and went to push the book back into place when the floor suddenly tremored beneath his feet. He froze in place, frown fluttering across his lips. Was he imagining things? He wondered.

The carpeted floor gave another sickening tremble that rumbled deep in the ground and reverberated its way up the building and into his boots. The bookcase behind him tilted menacingly and books slid from the shelves, tumbling to the floor. On his desk a mixture of ink and coffee slewed across the wood and the stack of neat, perfectly completed paperwork wicked up the mess in a soppy blob of ruined paper. He felt his eye twitch in irritation at the wasted work as he reached out a hand and steadied the bookshelf. If Amaimon was doing this to mess with him he would surely kill the boy! He seethed before another tremor struck the building.

Down the halls the shrill screams and sharp cries of students and staff erupted into a clamor as the floor rolled sickeningly beneath their feet. Mephisto hurried over to the window and peered out, watching as the tiny figures of students fled from the buckling ground. As he watched jagged cracks crawled across the earth, some parting a few inches. Just beyond the academy he could glimpse water bursting in sprays into the air as the ground underneath was disturbed. Mephisto swallowed thickly, hand pressing against the cool window pane as a small section of one of the suspended transport roads dipped dangerously before crumbling apart and tumbling to the water below. The barrier surrounding his school suddenly flickered into visibility and he blinked in astonishment. Was this an attack on the school? Was this Amaimon's doing? Surely he wasn't pitching some silly temper tantrum!

Oh his beloved academy!

The building gave a massive groan and swayed again and suddenly the glass underneath his hand shattered violently, the structure weakened by the unexpected movement. Mephisto snatched his hand back, sucking at a slowly bleeding cut from a glass shard that had managed to slice past his glove.

There was a sudden frantic beating at his door and with an irritated flash of his eyes he whirled around.

"Enter!" He commanded sharply and the door burst open, a few exorcist teachers jumbling into the room, some of them panting raggedly.

"Mephisto! Something strange is happening!" One man gasped and Mephisto fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes, yes! I can feel the building moving you know. Must be an earthquake, prepare the students for mandatory-"

"No sir!" Another man interrupted him, eyes wide with worry. "That's not it! We can't evacuate the students so easily!" He exclaimed and Mephisto ground his teeth, pinching his nose between two fingers.

"And just why not?"

"Mephisto!" Came a rough shout, the familiar accent slurring her words as Shura appeared behind the two men. Her eyes were dark with concern, normally careless expression grim. "There's something happening with the demons! They're going wild!"

"What?" He demanded, eyes widening. Shura glanced at him with a level expression, hand resting on her hip.

"Take a look outside! Demons are appearing in massive waves. They act like they've been agitated by something."

"They're swarming everywhere!"

"Even some of the familiars are turning vicious when summoned!" The group informed him seriously. Mephisto turned back to the cracked window and gazed over the haphazard rooftops of his precious school. There at the edges of where the barrier had been activated he could just see masses of black wriggling and clamoring. Low level demons of various kinds stormed the glittering shield of light with aggressive anxiety. They paid no heed as their brethren burst apart around them, incinerated by the magic. Their fangs gnashed, bulbous eyes rolling in angst as they attempted to claw their way in. In the distance the side of a nearby mountain crumbled and slid into the ocean with a massive crash of muddy water and stones.

"In the case of a demon attack we evacuate the students underground." Shura began, gesturing at the broken window. "Obviously we can't. It would only endanger them more."

"It's not just the academy either!" One of the men spoke up, mopping at his sweaty balding head with a handkerchief. "There's word it's happening everywhere! The town nearby is already feeling the stress. They barely managed to get everyone under cover in time!" Mephisto pursed his lips, eyes narrowing in deep thought as he surveyed the chaotic scenery before him. Something was very wrong. An imbalance had somehow been caused by something. What could have gotten the demons in such an anxious state? This was beyond any tantrum or practical joke Amaimon would ever try to pull. No…something was happening.

"Summon everyone who possesses a magic key! We'll organize the students into squadrons and evacuate them through the doors to a safer location." Mephisto snapped out. "A key holder for each squadron. There are more than enough doors to use." He ordered, turning around to face them, his expression calm. "Have the students who can prepare for fighting. We'll send different groups to the surrounding towns to provide support." He commanded and the men nodded before rushing off to spread the word. Shura hesitated, her hand catching ahold of the doorway as she turned shrewd eyes to observe him closely.

"This ain't yer doin', is it?" She demanded suspiciously and he lofted a quirked eyebrow at her.

"Absolutely not. Not _this_ time." He smirked almost knowingly and she scowled in reply before pursing her lips and turning to run off. Mephisto turned one last time to glance out of the window and he halted, pulling an abrupt double take. Down below in the courtyard a large tree that had been growing for the past countless years was withering at an alarming speed. Curling in on itself the bark shucked off in peeling layers, limbs sagged and snapped off before crashing to the ground as leaves browned and died. The trunk cracked and the tree struggled to retain its life before suddenly dying, the wood turning brittle.

Mephisto's eyes widened in alarm at that point and a horribly slick feeling filled the pit of his stomach. An insistent nagging feeling prickled at the back of his neck as his intuition screamed at him. His eyes narrowed, a nervous smirk curling his lips upwards. Abruptly he turned around, disregarding the mess of his office and the sopping wet puddle of papers piled on his desk as with a swish of his cloak he swept from the room.

Amaimon…

Something was wrong with his younger brother.

* * *

Camellia's hands were clutched tightly in the fabric of her stark white kimono as she stared at the hell unleashing itself around her. The number of living people in the room had significantly decreased and the ground was riddled with countless mangled corpses. They lay strewn about the room, blood seeping across the stone floor, eyes wide open and staring. Some of them were completely encased in stone and it clung to their bodies like a hardened fungus. Her body quivered from the shock of it all as she purposefully avoided watching the demons stripping the flesh from bodies in great strips. Tears blurred her vision before spilling down her pale cheeks, hot and salty as they dribbled down her face and spattered on the collar of her clothing. Her chest hitched and blearily she scrubbed at her face with her clean hand.

This wasn't supposed to be happening! Everything was supposed to be contained and while she'd been warned that people were going to get hurt, she'd never imagined…

So many dead…

Fear flooded her body, heart hammering like a caged rabbit, breath coming in short gasps as she pressed her bloody hand against her chest. She couldn't do this! She couldn't be bound to that _monster! _How could anything be that horrible? That vicious and blood thirsty? All of the precious lives he was cutting down! All of the _murder _he was so carelessly committing!

Amaimon howled a snarling, furious noise that promised they would all face his temperamental wrath. He clapped his hands over his ears, sharp teeth bared in a sneer. That chanting! That infernal chanting was the cause of all of this! If he couldn't break the seal he'd silence all of their voices! He'd extinguish every single candle until the room was darkened and thrown into complete silence! With a hiss he drew his hand back and flexed the fingers into a tight fist. His wild eyed gaze landed on the pale figure standing not three feet away and his eyes narrowed in spite. _Her!_ He could feel the power in the room surging through the seal carved in the floor and channeling its way into their bodies.

The very same seal was still in the process of being gouged into their skin and if he could just stop the progression he would be free to slaughter them all! They deserved it! How _dare_ they! With a grunt he threw his weight forward pounding his fist repeatedly over and over again at a blur of a speed at the same spot on the barrier. It crackled into life, electricity coursing up his arm as punishment but he shook it off, ignoring the weak itch of irritation. The human girl's eyes stared up at him, watching with a sort of stupidly slow expression on her face as he relentlessly pounded the shield. He would kill her first and then work his way from there. Forget his cousin's penchant for eyes, there'd be nothing left of her once he was done!

There was a sudden sharp _snap_ and a tiny, delicate splintering crack appeared crawling across the almost glass-like barrier of energy. He could practically _taste_ the terror emitting from her frail little body. Both of their eyes focused on the crack and Amaimon felt a nasty impish smirk curling his lips. He drew his fist back one more time and then with as much force as he could muster he plunged his hand through the shield. It shattered in a spray of light shards and she shrieked, cringing backwards as a gust of power whipped her hair and clothes about. With a triumphant expression Amaimon wrapped his hand around what was left of the barrier and forced his way through the gap. It flickered palely and then vanished from sight.

She blinked rapidly, lowering the arm she'd raised to shield herself and startled as the demon suddenly appeared _right before her_. Very slowly she raised her gaze from underneath delicate eyelashes and looked into the surprisingly bored face of the Earth King.

* * *

The Priest screamed as a demon latched its teeth around his arm and frantically he pried at its jaws as he fell backwards, his body striking the stone. The sudden slosh of warm liquid across his front had fear pulsing through his veins before the demon gave a horrid squeal, releasing his blood soaked sleeve and writhing on the ground before bursting into pieces. He blinked, looking up to see a monk clutching a bucket of holy water with a relieved expression on his face.

"Father Kougu are you alright?" He asked worriedly, leaning forward to offer him a helping hand. The Priest let out a shaky breath and pressed a hand to his chest.

"Yes, yes! You've saved me surely!" He gasped, before reaching up to accept the proffered hand and suddenly it wasn't there anymore. Father Kougu blinked in confusion and stared up at the giant hulking golem now standing in the place of where the monk had been. Something wet seeped across the ground and his robes quickly soaked it up. Holy water. Surely it must be holy water! He thought distantly and looked down to see a puddle of red spreading below him. He lifted his wet hand from the floor and realized with a sudden sickening lurch of his stomach that the golem had simply squashed the monk flat with its weight. The thing gave a chest-rumbling growl and then very slowly reached its blocky stone hand towards his rather small head.

* * *

With a deviously gleeful chuckle Amaimon suddenly lunged at her. His fingers outstretched, black nails poised to bury into soft flesh. His hand shot towards her throat ready to choke the life out of her.

The tiny lines etched in flesh and drawn with blood finally connected, the lines merging into a flawless seal. It burst into a sharp light-her hand glowing and his chest. The light swept the room, mirroring in her terrified emerald eyes and his surprised blue ones. Time seemed to slow to a grinding crawl. Shadows cast about the room like dancing animated beasts. With a tremble of her soft lips, Camellia clapped her small hands over her ears and closed her eyes tightly. The sight of Amaimon lunging for her throat disappeared in safe darkness.

"PLEASE STOP!" She shouted, soft voice catching and to his astonishment he felt his body respond immediately. His muscles bunched, screeching to a halt as his joints froze, bones refusing to move. His mouth gaped open in shock, eyes blinking rapidly to try and process what was happening. His hand ground to a halt, lethal nails inches from her throat. He couldn't move.

The Earth King was bound.

As one the massive stone golems shuddered to a halt the one frozen in place with its giant stone hand inches from the Priest's head. Cracks spider-webbed across its body and it gave one final shudder before crumbling in on itself leaving behind a harmless pile of rubble.

"What have you done?" Amaimon demanded, body trembling from being frozen in place. He tilted his head to the side, wide eyes boring into her own as he glared angrily at her. "Let me go or I'll kill you!" He snapped, not finding the situation enjoyable in the least bit.

"Do not listen to him!" The Priest shouted hoarsely, scrambling unsteadily to his feet. He pointed a shaky finger at the demon Prince. "The seal is complete! You are bound to this girl! So long as she lives you must obey her commands!" He exclaimed and Amaimon narrowed his eyes, nose crinkling in irritation.

"Then I shall simply kill her!" He growled, trying to force his body to move. His fingers gave a slight twitch and he willed his deadly nails to plunge into her neck but nothing happened. He remained unmoving. His temper flared again and he snapped his head to the side to glare at the Priest. Immediately the goblins in the room stirred back into life and lunged at the older man, claws outstretched.

"COMMAND HIM CAMELLIA!" He shouted in fear, cowering from the demons.

"P-please get rid of the demons!" She squeaked weakly and in a flash Amaimon's hand whipped up, fingers forcibly brushing past one another in a loud snap. To the awe of the humans every demon in the room immediately burst apart in a shower of black ash. Amaimon's eyes were wide in stunned surprise as he watched his underlings die.

There was a collective gasp in the room and he watched in confusion as the humans dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in a deep bow.

"Oh Earth King Amaimon! One of the eight Princes of Hell! We are humbled in your presence!" They cried as one.

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** Next chapter a lot more of the plot will be revealed and the reasons behind them summoning Amaimon. Hopefully. Lol! xD Also you'll be seeing more of the other characters in the series. They have their roles too! *winks* REVIEWS are horded like skittles and carefully sorted by color before being devoured! I appreciate hearing what you liked about each chapter, what I could improve on and your guesses on what you think may be happening!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Keys to Safety

_**Author's Note:**__** We find out more about the situation poor Amaimon has landed himself in and see what's happening at the academy! More of the other characters in this chapter too! Please enjoy~!**_

**~~~GW~~~**

"_PLEASE STOP!" She shouted, soft voice catching and to his astonishment he felt his body respond immediately. His hand ground to a halt, lethal nails inches from her throat. He couldn't move._

_The Earth King was bound._

_"Oh Earth King Amaimon! One of the eight Princes of Hell! We are humbled in your presence!" They cried as one._

**Chapter 4: Keys to Safety**

Amaimon's brow furrowed in confusion and he lifted his arm up, looking under the flap of his coat before patting his head and sticking a finger in his mouth to feel the sharpness of his fangs. A wisp of smoke hissed from the seal on his chest as the tiny wounds quickly closed themselves.

"Am I a _God?_" He sneered, now certain that he was still one hundred percent a demon. This was quite unexpected. The group of humans appeared flustered for a moment before the Priest stepped forward and grasped the girl's shoulders in his hands.

"You've done it Camellia!" He exclaimed, wrenching her into an engulfing hug. "You've saved the village!"

"Oh, my congratulations to you." Amaimon blinked, his hand shooting out to hook around the girl's neck and with a rough yank he hauled her backwards out of the man's grasp and into his own. His other hand caught her wrist in his grip, the tip of his black thumbnail resting over the bleeding seal on her hand. His other hand clenched around her throat and he could feel her heartbeat hammering away in her chest. So frail human beings were yet so much damage and irritation they caused! Where did they get their strength from? How could something so weak and unimportant _possibly_ threaten him?

His gaze turned downwards as he tugged her hand closer to his face and inspected the seal curiously. It appeared to be the same as the massive one carved into the stone beneath their feet with a few modifications added here and there.

"I see. This is what you used to summon me." He stated with a bland tone. "Most curious. Should I keep one of you alive to ask about it?" He asked quite seriously and everyone shrank back _except_ for the Priest. Amaimon didn't like that. Not one bit. "But seals are easily broken. Brother taught me this." A sneer lit up his face and with a slice of his thumbnail he meant to gouge a line across her flesh. A faint glow appeared over the seal and in a frustratingly simple way his nail just skimmed over the pale skin as if a thin barrier were protecting the mark.

"He can't hurt her?" One monk asked nearby and with a twitch of his face Amaimon reared around and kicked him square in the chest. The man flew back with a strangled cry and struck a stone pillar before slumping to the ground unmoving. Immediately the space around him grew larger as the humans cowered back a bit. Hm. So he could still attack. That was at least some good news. So why couldn't he harm this girl? Was it the seal? He pondered, his grip tightening around her throat. She whimpered and the Priest stepped forward.

"Unhand Lady Camellia!" He demanded, swiping his hand through the air in an angry gesture.

"Mmm I don't think I will." Amaimon hummed, expression grave. "I'm just going to kill you alright? You're too troublesome." He informed the girl bluntly and squeezed at her neck.

"You can't do that!" The Priest shouted, body tensing. "If you kill her you'll die too!"

"Impossible." Amaimon blinked. This man really was irritating. Father Kougu pointed at the seal, feeling nervous.

"That seal binds you to her soul demon! If her soul parts with her body you'll perish alongside her!" He shouted and Amaimon paused. Natural curiosity was screaming at him to snap the girl's neck and find out. He really was spontaneous when it came to those kinds of decisions. But then he thought about what would happen if it _were_ true. He would die and then that wouldn't be very fun. He was pretty sure you couldn't eat sweets once you'd died.

"Then I'll just kill all of you and take her with me." He stated, flexing his clawed hand.

"You can't!" The girl burst, craning her neck to look up at him. She suddenly looked slightly less afraid and her hair brushed lightly across his chest. He blinked down at her with aloof disinterest, watching the way her eyes caught the light like shiny stones.

"Oh?"

"I won't let you!" She said forcefully.

"_Pffft_ gehahaha!" Amaimon laughed, throwing his head back and snickering childishly. "I won't listen to anyone but older brother and father!" He laughed, eyes narrowing at her. She didn't seem to know what to say to that.

"Yes…you will. You don't have a choice Earth King." The Priest spoke, a heavy tone to his voice. Amaimon growled and opened his mouth to bare his sharp canines. He didn't like being told what to do and he sure as hell didn't like being told he had no choice in the matter. He _always_ had a choice. Even when he was being threatened with death as a result of not listening, he always had a _choice_. Mephisto's voice promptly echoed in his mind like an irritating goateed gnat.

_Don't destroy the school or I'll kill you._

_Don't harm the students or I'll kill you._

_Don't fight with Rin or I'll kill you._

The Priest seemed to draw himself up to his squat height and he looked firmly at Camellia, holding a hand out to her.

"Have him release you my lamb. You will see." He instructed and without hesitation she spoke.

"Please let me go." Stubbornly he resisted, his clawed fingers twitching with the effort as they slid harmlessly over her skin. His grip broke as pain raced along his nerves like a freight train and finally she slipped free from his grasp. His teeth grit together, eyes shadowed as his cunning mind raced for a solution to this predicament. She danced out of his grasp and stumbled into the Priest's arms.

He didn't like this. He didn't like this in the least bit! This was terrible. This was absolutely _not_ fun! He was the Earth King! No one commanded him! This could be a serious situation. He realized with a shiver of distaste. Whatever this seal was it was bad. A bad thing had happened. He reasoned. This was embarrassing. This was painful…

"I'm leaving. This is no fun." He stated bluntly and that seemed to catch them off guard as he turned to vanish with a swipe of his tattered coat.

"I'm afraid not Prince Amaimon." The Priest spoke calmly, clutching at the girl's shoulder. She seemed to stammer for a moment before a nod of reassurance from the Priest solidified what little resolve she seemed to possess.

"Stop!" She commanded and Amaimon ground to a forced halt.

* * *

The chalk made a horrible screeching noise as it slid across the blackboard leaving a smudge of messy white behind. Yukio blinked in surprise, pausing as the ground shuddered beneath their feet.

"Is that an earthquake?" Izumo demanded, looking up sharply from her book.

"I don't-" Yukio began, turning away from the board when another tremble shook the ground. The desks rattled noisily together and there was the loud scrape of chairs as Rin and Bon leapt to their feet.

"Hurk-! Oh that feeling makes me uneasy!" Shima moaned, clapping a hand over his mouth as the floor rolled beneath their feet.

"Oy Yukio, should we be evacuating or something?" Rin spoke up, turning to look at his brother with a concerned expression. The building gave a massive shudder and plaster dust rained from the ceiling as shouts erupted from surrounding classrooms. His mind made up Yukio pushed his thin glasses further up his nose and made for the door.

"Let me consult with the other teachers. Get ready to-" He cut off as the door was suddenly thrown open and a man dressed in the exorcist uniform burst into the room. His gaze turned immediately to Yukio, his expression serious.

"Yukio! Grab your students and prepare to evacuate the academy!" He instructed turning to look at the others. "Equip yourselves accordingly, the Exwires are being divided up among the groups for better protection."

"Hey, just what the hell is going on?" Bon demanded noisily as the ground rumbled ominously.

"Listen carefully, the academy is under attack-"

"What?" The group unanimously exclaimed in shock.

"What is the meaning of this assault?" Yukio demanded and the man rolled his shoulders in a worried shrug.

"It seems demons everywhere are going on a rampage! Something has caused them to turn aggressive and begin attacking humans. We've been ordered to divide into squads and give aid to the nearby towns. Yukio we're instructed to use our Keys to open a door for evacuations. Exorcists are securing safety zones as we speak!"

"Understood!" Yukio confirmed, already popping open his guns and checking his ammo supply. He grimaced as he noted he only had two clips of ammo on him. He'd burn through that in minutes.

"What could be causing this?" Konekomaru spoke up, a tremor in his voice.

"We don't know yet. It must be something serious to cause this large of an issue though!" The ground shook again with an eerie moan and very faintly they could hear the sounds of enraged screams. The noise sent a chill down their spines.

"Right, everyone come with me! Stay sharp, this could get serious faster than you think!" Yukio ordered and they jumped into action.

"Man this sucks!" Shima groaned, snatching up his monk's staff with a jangle of noise. "I thought today would be a lazy day with another chance to woo girls!" He joked nervously.

"This doesn't make any sense, why are the demons suddenly so enraged?" Bon growled, eyes narrowed in deep thought. They were hurriedly ushered into the hallway where a mob of students were being divided up into groups. The clamor was intense, voices shouting to be heard over the noisy murmurs and the occasional screams when the floor gave an alarming shudder. Exorcists were hustling their way down the lines, shoving canisters of holy water and scriptures into unarmed student's hands. At the head of the forming lines other Exorcists crammed elaborate keys into the locks of closed doors, key rings jingling like lost chimes.

One door was pulled open and immediately the roar of hundreds of demons snarling and howling exploded in the hallway drowning all other noise out. The town the door had opened to was in ruins, the sounds of screaming humans in agony piercing the rumble of noise before abruptly cutting off. The demons slithered past the door in hordes, clawing and scrabbling their way along in a frenzied state. There was an ear splitting screech and suddenly one demon turned its bulbous eyes at the door and lunged. The Exorcist slammed the door shut as the students cowered back and wrenched the key out of the lock with a sharp breath.

"Sumaru town is no good!" He called out loudly before moving on to the next key.

"This is insane!" Shima whispered, clutching his staff tightly to his chest.

"Next group please step forward!" Someone shouted down the hall and a line of students pressed towards the door. There was a sudden gasp before screams erupted in the air as an Exorcist flew backwards, striking the ground. The door burst wide open, a swarm of demons flooding the hall and immediately turning to attack the humans clustered within. The flash of gun barrels lit up the hall, bangs cutting through the air as demons burst apart in black ash. Yukio emptied half of his first clip before someone finally managed to force the door closed again. An Exorcist hustled by and shoved holy water grenades in Izumo, Bon and Konekomaru's hands.

"Arias and Tamers must carry these as backup." The woman said quickly.

"You wouldn't happen to have a clip of holy bullets in your supplies, would you?" Yukio spoke up seriously, shouting to be heard over the noise as more students were ushered through a door. The woman shot him a worried look and shook her head _no_ before moving on.

"Yukio! We need two more over here!" Someone shouted and the younger twin frowned.

"Right, Bon and Konekomaru you go with them. Shima and Izuma you're a group and Rin-"

"Oy!" Rin suddenly shouted, eyes wide as something dawned on him. He whirled around with a start, his hand grasping the sleeve of Yukio's coat in a tight grip. "Yukio what about Shiemi?" He gasped and his brother's eyes widened with alarm. "Shiemi's-"

"Shiemi stayed home to tend to their shop while her mother was gone!" Yukio finished, meeting Rin's frantic eyes.

"We have to go find her! She could be in trouble!" Rin shouted, a pleading tone in his voice, eyes desperate. Yukio hesitated, glancing at the chaos around him as he debated the rashness of that plan of action. "YUKIO!" Rin growled and abruptly Yukio dug into his pocket for his ring of keys.

"Alright let's go!"

"Oy Shiemi's our friend too!" Bon yelled, balling his hands into agitated fists. "We should go too!"

"No!" Yukio objected, finding the correct key and clutching it in his hand. "I'll grab a replenishing supply of bullets while I'm there. Rin will provide backup for me. You go with your designated groups!" The younger twin ordered firmly, his tone not allowing any room for argument. Bon grit his teeth together and Shima clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Bon, they're just gonna go grab Shiemi."

"Bon our group is leaving!" Konekomaru piped up nervously, tugging at the taller man's sleeve.

"Tch! Always running off on your own!" He ground out, shooting Rin an irritated glare. The other boy returned it with a confident grin of his own.

"But I'm not alone this time! Yukio's coming with me!" He countered, flashing him a bright smile.

"Bon!"

"Alright, alright! I get it already!" The rough looking boy ground out, shaking the clinging hand off of his sleeve. "I get it already!" He repeated, turning to follow the small boy when a shout hailed him back.

"Bon!" Rin called, cupping his hands around his mouth. The other boy turned back, a scowl on his face as Rin flashed him a cocky thumbs up. "We'll bring Shiemi back safe and sound!" He promised and Bon started in surprise before shaking his head and turning his back to him.

"Idiot! Don't die!" He growled before following Konekomaru through the door. Yukio grabbed Rin's arm with a scowl and dragged his older brother out of the pressing mob of students. They rounded the corner and entered an empty hallway as Yukio stopped in front of a classroom door. He turned back to Rin and held up a cautionary finger.

"I can't open a door directly at the shop. You remember the last time we went?" He asked and Rin nodded his head, a determined grin on his face. "We'll most likely have to fight our way there. Be _careful_ Rin, we're just finding Shiemi and then coming back!" He pressed worriedly, cautious to be running so gung-ho into danger. "If we get there and there's no stock of ammunition…" He muttered, pushing the key into the lock. If he used up all of his ammo getting to the shop only to find no supplies they could end up in a dangerous position. He'd be forced to rely solely on Rin. He grit his teeth together and then turned the key, bracing himself as the door swung open.

Across the bridge chaos was arising.

* * *

Amaimon blinked rapidly, eyes quickly adjusting to the sudden change in light. The Priest walked in front of him, the girl hovering nervously by Amaimon's side and a few humans strayed behind them at a respectful distance. The rest had remained below to tend to the dead. Not that Amaimon cared.

They emerged from the ground, climbing up a set of roughly hewn stone stairs and passing under an arched doorway. The cave was situated at the base of a valley and above the slope of land a small town squatted against the hill side. Something crunched under Amaimon's feet and his expressionless face surveyed the land before him.

It looked dead.

The grass was withered and brown for as far as they could see, dry and brittle to the touch. It scuffed underneath their feet and clung weakly to the ground. Trees were bare, piles of dead moldering leaves piled at their trunks. Some of the wood was cracking, riddled with holes bored by bugs and infested with leeching mosses. It crumbled easily to the touch like ground sawdust. Their dead limbs jutted into the gray sky like skeletal fingers clawing desperately at heaven's underside. Fallen trees littered the ground along with clumps of dried bushes that snagged at their clothes as they passed by.

An eerie silence blanketed the valley, void of the sounds of chirping birds and animals rustling through foliage. There weren't even signs of scavengers or the animals that feasted on rotting flesh. The air was dead and heavy, sitting like a stone on the chest and making breathing difficult. The stench of decay was heavy in the air and clogged in the nose and throat.

Amaimon felt a wave of sickness wash over him and he swallowed thickly, eyes wide with disbelief, the ground rumbling angrily underneath their feet. The seal over his heart throbbed with pain that scurried down his spine and wormed its way through his chest. Beneath his boot clad feet he could feel the earth was dry and hardened, leeched of nutrients and cracking.

"This is the valley we live in…" The Priest spoke up, voice tinged with worry and regret.

"You've ruined it." Amaimon replied, taking in the dead landscape before him with shadowed eyes.

"_WE_ did not ruin it!" The Priest objected fiercely, eyes lighting up in anger. He seemed to gather himself, realizing _who_ he was speaking to and bowing his head. "We did nothing. It was the demons who have plagued us! This land has become _cursed_-" He stated grimly, stepping forward to lead them into the town. "-and we are unable to leave."

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** I seriously can't tell you guys how much your comments mean to me! I smile whenever I read them lol~ Well the plot's being revealed albeit a bit slowly. I think I have a set idea in my mind now so I'm excited! REVIEWS fuel my fire!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Like Eating Dirt

_**Author's Note:**__** Another chapter out! I gotta be honest guys I'm not completely satisfied with Amaimon's section. *sigh* But what can you do? Ya win some ya lose some. Please lemme know what you think!**_

**~~~GW~~~**

"_We did nothing. It was the demons who have plagued us! This land has become cursed-" He stated grimly, stepping forward to lead them into the town. "-and we are unable to leave."_

**Chapter 5: Like Eating Dirt**

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Rapid fire the shots rang out, demons exploding apart as the holy bullets drove into their tainted bodies. It just seemed like a useless endeavor though. For every one he shot down, three seemed to appear in its place. They swarmed over the elevated bridge, crawling over the side, claws sinking into the smooth stone to give them purchase. They slithered and scuttled and flew in one massive wave. Coal Tar drifted in the air like smoke, clustering around the higher level demons like flies.

Parts of the bridge had crumbled due to the quaking earth and plunged to the world below leaving dangerous pitfalls. The two of them raced along, boots pounding against the tarmac in desperate strides.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Kachik! Kachik!_ Yukio swore under his breath as the bullets ran out, hand thrusting towards his belt. "Rin!" He shouted, voice stressed as a group of goblins threw themselves at him, claws extended in an effort to strike him down.

"ARAAAH!" Came a rough shout and from nowhere Rin dropped from the sky, sword slicing through the demons before he whirled around, back pressed against Yukio's and cut through a lunging Imp demon. One of Yukio's fingers slid along the latch on his gun, thumb catching the release as the spent cartridge went flying through the air. His other hand flew up, popping the fresh clip into place with a comforting _click_. Smoke wisped from the barrel of his gun and the weapon was piping hot in his hand. Immediately he snapped the gun back into place, firing another three bullets into an oncoming wave of demons.

"Che! Ya just keep coming dontcha!" Rin demanded gruffly, fending off the claws of yet another demon.

"Their stubbornness reminds me of you brother." Yukio commented casually, blasting away in rapid succession. "It must be a demon thing."

"Oy! It's _not_ a demon thing!" Rin objected loudly.

"Oh? Then you admit you're stubborn?" Yukio countered calmly, spinning with a twirl of his Exorcist coat. His gun snapped to the side, finger pumping the trigger.

"No!"

"Hardheaded then?"

"You...! At a time like this messin' with me!" Rin ground out, a grin on his face despite their banter. Abruptly they parted, swept away by the tide of demons as they tried to force their way through the mob. Yukio backed up slowly, flashes exploding from the end of the muzzle on his gun. At this rate they'd never make it to the shop if they didn't hurry! Not to mention his ammo was getting increasingly low… Yukio opened his mouth to call out to his brother and tell him they needed to hurry when a massive furred fist crashed into the ground at his feet. The asphalt burst apart in a shower of broken rocks and with a cry Yukio tumbled backwards, pulling himself into a reflexive roll and automatically training his weapon on the beast. A giant hulking mass loomed over him and he blinked in surprise, chest heaving. Its legs were as thick as tree trunks, feet ending in large hooves, moss draped around its waist. Coarse short brown hair covered its body in uneven patches, chest rippling with thick corded muscles. Its shoulders were hunched, arms that of a human's, fingers blocky and shortly jointed. From its neck sprouted the head of a bull, lethal horns curving skyward, one split at the end in bony splinters from a past wound. Its nose was short and snubbed, eyes beady and narrowed in a malicious rage. Spit ribboned from its mouth and dribbled down its chin, matting the fur. It tilted its head back and let out a baying roar, hands clenching as its chest puffed out in a threatening manner.

"Che! An Ushi-oni!" Yukio muttered to himself, eyes locked on the beast. With another trumpet the demon suddenly charged at Yukio with a surprising burst of speed. Its head bucked, attempting to gouge his body with its long horns while its thick arms swung at him, hands seeking to crush bones. Yukio threw himself into another roll, firing off two bullets that struck its shoulder and embedded itself deep in its hide. The Ushi-oni jerked back, a scream of rage bursting from its snout as it snatched up a chunk of broken road and hurtled it at the young exorcist. "Damnit!" Yukio swore legs pumping furiously as he ducked behind a chunk of cement. He swiveled his arm over the temporary makeshift shield and squeezed the trigger. A flurry of bullets peppered into the beast forcing it to stumble back as blood sprayed into the air.

With a determined scowl Yukio aimed for its heart and fired round after round with deadly accuracy. He knew the skull of an Ushi-oni was too thick to penetrate with simple bullets and they were notorious for their thick almost impenetrable muscles, but maybe if he fired enough at the same target they would eventually break through to the heart? Or at least he hoped it would. His life depended on it! The demon gave another ear-splitting bay, struggling its way closer to the frail human despite the hail of bullets forcing it back.

_Bang! Bang! Kachik! Kachik! Kachik! _Yukio's breath abruptly caught in his throat, chest tightening with fear as his last clip emptied and a single spent shell clattered to the ground with a sharp, final _ping_.

He was out of ammo.

This fact seemed to register in the Ushi-oni's slow mind and a hideous, drooling grin curled itself across its bull face. With a triumphant call it barreled forward, weight thundering down on the pavement. The already shaking earth trembled under its massive girth as it charged straight for his prone figure.

"Rin!" Yukio swallowed, scrambling backwards in horror. There was no way he could dodge that thing! He registered, fear freezing his body in place. He was going to die. Maimed horribly to death by a bull demon. He was going to die here. "RIN!" He croaked, hand tightening in a painful grip around his suddenly useless gun. Was this it? Was this his destiny grinding to a screeching halt before his very eyes?

And suddenly the demon was on him, enormous frame towering over him. Its shadow swallowed him whole, stretching across the road in never ending black. The stench of it hit him in a wave of sweat and animal musk. With a roar it reared back, muscled arms swinging high above its head before they came crashing down on him. His courage slipped and despite himself his eyes snapped tightly closed, arm weakly coming up in a useless attempt at defending himself. He took a deep breath and then screamed.

"RIIIIN!"

"YUKIOOOOO!" Came the replying bellow and the shout rang in his ears it was so close. With as much strength as he could muster Rin leapt over his brother's head, sword slicing through the air with a deadly whistle as it sunk deep into the demon's chest. Stinking blood sprayed the two of them as the Ushi-oni let out an agonized howl that pained their ears. It stumbled back as Rin's sword embedded its blade in the bull's tough hide and Rin's feet struck its chest. With a grunt Rin wrenched at his blade only to find it thoroughly stuck. A giant hand snatched out, wrapping around his sword arm and he could _hear_ the bones creak under the intense pressure.

"RIN!" Yukio shouted in alarm and his twin gave a hiss of pain.

"LET! GO!" He snarled and a blast of brilliant blue flames erupted around him in a gust of power. The force blasted the demon backwards and Rin twisted the blade, yanking it free from its sheath of flesh. With a shout of anger he swung sideways as hard as he could and the flaming blade ripped through the bull's stomach like slicing through warmed butter. Blood spattered the ground in a wave of crimson heat and the Ushi-oni stumbled back, its stumpy legs trembling underneath it. A mixture of blood and spit frothed from its mouth, its eyes glazing over in a sheen as it fell backwards. Its body hit the ground with a jostling _THUD_ and it lay there, its expansive chest heaving.

Yukio let out a sharp breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding and pressed a shaking hand to his forehead as Rin's flames curled around them, incinerating any other weak demon that tried to come close.

"That was a close one!" Rin panted, resting his hands on his knees, sword pointed towards the ground. "Heh, were ya worried I wouldn't come?" He demanded teasingly, swiping at the bangs that flopped into his eyes. Yukio remained silent, lips pressed into a thin line as he hurriedly picked himself up from the ground. Rin frowned, brow furrowing. "Oy…Yukio…" He began.

"Ma- hnggh Master…" Came a grunting, keening voice in his head and Rin blinked in surprise, turning to look at the dying demon. "Master…Master. Hnnnghhhhh. Master!" It bayed pitifully, puffs of weak air escaping its rubbery lips.

"Oy, it's saying something…" Rin muttered and Yukio looked up at him in surprise.

"It's speaking? You said they haven't been saying anything."

"They haven't! Until now all of the demons have just been screaming." Rin replied, cautiously walking closer to it. Blood pooled from its wound and darkened its fur as it flowed towards the ground. Its life was fading quickly away. He could see that.

"Hey, why are the demons attacking?" Rin demanded, propping his sword on his shoulder.

"Master…"

"Who is your master?" He tried again.

"Ma-…ster…" It keened one more pitiful time before its head lulled lifelessly to the side and its form dissolved into black ash. There was a moment of tense silence as Yukio's mind raced at what had just happened.

"This is most disconcerting." He muttered, slowly wiping some of the demon's blood off of his face.

"What is?" Rin asked curiously, looking up from where the body had disappeared. Yukio hesitated.

"That was an Ushi-oni, a demon with a bovine head that possesses cattle." Yukio stated, tucking his useless gun away into its holster.

"So?" Rin demanded impatiently and Yukio frowned.

"So they're normally peaceful creatures. They're commonly worshipped by farmers as they actually help out with plowing the fields in exchange for kind offerings." He informed his brother grimly, adjusting his glasses. "So even these passive demons have gone wild…" He murmured with unease.

"Oh…that's bad!" Rin gasped and Yukio nodded thoughtfully.

"It is."

"No…I mean _that_ is bad!" Rin exclaimed, thrusting a finger to point over his twin's shoulder and the other boy whirled around. The two stared in horror at the massive wave of demons surging towards them, rising over the structure of the building's roof and hurtling in their direction.

"RUN!" Yukio shouted, fear tingeing his voice and the two turned and fled towards the Exorcist store in the distance.

* * *

Amaimon was forced to walk further into the dying lands, his steps controlled by the snow white wisp of a girl struggling to keep up with his steps. The further he ventured the more uneasy he felt. His body was tensed, muscles in a constant struggle against the powers forcing him to obey. His eyes were wide open, narrowed pupils flickering constantly about as he observed the landscape and the pitiful people dwelling there. His expression remained one of neutral boredom, fingers clutching angrily at the hem of his shirt.

They passed pathetic dried farm lands where scarce crops struggled to force their meek roots into the hardened earth. Wheat and corn sprouted in thin limp little shoots that were already browning. Pumpkins and squashes of different kinds were small and many of them oozed juices down their sides, flies swarming about and sticking in the putrid goo. Rice fields lurked in stagnant browned water and normally leafy green vegetables lay yellowed, their leaves brushing the dusty ground.

The people here were equally as pathetic. They were gaunt and scrawny, frames thin and bones stretching at their pale skin. Their eyes were hollowed and dull like tarnished coins. Their clothes were ratty and patched in multiple places and the cloth hung from their frames several sizes too big. The humans wandered about, a dead and hopeless look to their eyes. They were weak and starving and just looking at them made Amaimon feel hungry. The stench of pestilence clung to many of them like a foul cloak and his nose wrinkled in distaste.

As they entered the town what little activity there was seemed to halt. The villagers' heads turned to watch the procession, eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of Amaimon. He stuck out like a sore thumb, like a black sheep in a herd of white and he shifted uncomfortably as the unwavering gazes fell heavily on him. There were shouts of surprise, people ducking into shabby buildings and crying out for others. The streets began to fill with people and many of them burst into desperate, uncontrolled tears. They fell to their knees in the dirt, hands stretched before them, foreheads pressed to the ground as they bowed to him.

"Blessed be! He's answered our prayers!" One woman sobbed, clinging tightly to her scraggly children.

"We're saved! We're saved thank the heavens!"

"Is it him? Really him?"

"It has to be!"

Amaimon was aghast, confused as to what was happening. The mood seemed to be brightening and beside him the girl smiled a faint relieved smile. What the hell were these humans doing? He wondered in confusion. Mephisto had once told him that he found humans to be fascinating, something Amaimon couldn't understand. He typically found them rather dull and boring as they went about their dreary lives but what they were doing now he couldn't understand. The reaction he was used to receiving was usually _very_ much different. Cries of terror and fear, they would scramble away from him like ants, cowering back. Some reacted with anger, firing guns at him, holy chants and water with a sharp crisp smell to it. Yet always there was fear.

As there should be.

Everything about this place was wrong. He decided, hating it instantly. He never thought he'd say it but it made him suddenly miss his brother. Mephisto's ridiculously bright colored clothing, the cheerful trill to his voice as he waved his hands about in eccentric gestures and that leering, curling grin of his. What a ridiculous thought for him. The demon Prince sneered, lips tugging back from his sharp teeth.

The buildings began to thin as he passed by the rows of bowing people and Amaimon looked up as the group came to a stop. Before him one building stood alone, kept in a much better shape than the others. It was a shrine of some kind with a pointed roof and large round pillars. In front of it a giant statue had been placed of a snarling beast, head arched towards the sky, horns curling from its head. Massive claws gestured upwards, carved pillars of earth jutting up from the floor where they had been supposedly summoned. There was a collected, serious look on the thing's face and its eyes were made of green stones that had been pushed into place. At its feet candles were lit and miscellaneous random offerings had been placed there. It was ridiculous. What was this stupid thing? Amaimon felt a prick of irritation kindle in him and his anger stirred. They had brought him to some other demon's shrine? He thought with contempt.

"What is this?" He demanded aloud and the humans jumped stupidly as if they'd forgotten he could speak. The Priest turned to look at him as several monks bustled out of the temple.

"This is your shrine Earth King Amaimon, made in your honor." He replied and Amaimon blinked, peering closely at him to see if he was joking. Sometimes it was hard to tell especially with older brother. This man didn't seem to be. The Priest shuffled his feet under Amaimon's unblinking stare and glanced back up at the statue.

"Ah…we shall correct that immediately." He reassured as the monks stopped in front of their group and bowed deeply.

"Prince Amaimon we are humbled by your presence!" They chorused, shifting nervously. "We have prepared everything as you wished Father Kougu."They informed him and the Priest beamed with delight.

"Wonderful! Ready everyone for a celebration! Today is a day to rejoice after all!" He ordered them and they bowed with brief smiles before scurrying away.

"What have you summoned me for?" Amaimon suddenly spoke up, eyes narrowed in thought. He gnawed at his thumbnail in agitation, eyes roving about the creepy town. He purposefully avoided looking at the disgraceful statue. "What is it you want?" He tried again. After all humans _always_ wanted something. They were never happy-never content. There was something they were always after be it wealth, power or their so-called happiness that they always seemed to pursue. For not being demons they sure could be greedy at times. The Priest rounded on him and Amaimon drew back, uncomfortable with the close proximity. The man's eyes were wide and they moved about, attempting to search his own.

"This town was once a thriving, lively village! Food was plentiful, the land rich and the people healthy!" He moaned, pressing a hand to his chest. "A curse has befallen us! Sickness plagues our people and the land is dying!" A determined gleam filled his eyes and he clutched at Camellia's shoulders, looking down at her. "But with this we can restore the land! What better way than with the power of the Earth King himself? The lands move at your fingertips! Demons cower from your presence! Food will be plentiful and our people shall rest safe at night!" He shouted, throwing his arms wide as several people cheered noisily.

"I refuse." Amaimon objected bluntly, blinking his uncaring eyes at all of them. "This is a waste of my time. I hate doing boring things." He intoned, lips twitching in a sneer. He eyed them all with an arrogant expression and tilted his head to the side in a curious manner. "Weak things die. If you aren't strong enough to survive you become toys for others." Amaimon smirked, sharp teeth flashing in a devilish grin. This was something he'd been taught since birth. No one in Gehenna would have mercy on you. "Brother won't be happy if I'm late. This was interesting at first but now I want to leave."

"I'm afraid you can't do that Prince Amaimon." The Priest ground out, fingers tightening on the girl's shoulders. She blinked her green eyes up at him, a worried expression furrowing her brow. Amaimon scowled, temper flaring.

"I don't like being told what to do. I won't listen to someone weak like you." He insisted, quickly becoming irritated. He wouldn't listen to anyone he didn't respect and the number of demons he respected could be counted on a hand with fingers missing.

"There are people starving to death here! All because of demons! You must help them!" The Priest ground out, teeth clenched in anger.

"Hm?" The Earth King blinked, pressing a finger to his lips as he leaned forward, shoving his nose in the other man's surprised face. "_You_ were the one that summoned a _demon_. That isn't my fault. Should I go ahead and kill them all? It would save time." He asked quite seriously when suddenly something sharp struck him across the face. His head snapped to the side in astonishment, eyes wide with disbelief as he pressed a hand to the red area developing on his cheek. The Priest drew back in surprise as Camellia stared up at Amaimon with defiant eyes, her hand trembling badly as she stood frozen in place.

A snarl ripped from Amaimon's throat as the ground began to tremble again, the dilapidated buildings swaying threateningly. His hand clenched into a fist so hard the nails pierced the palm of his hand as he seized the front of her white kimono and dragged her off of her feet.

"This town prays to you!" She spoke, voice wavering with fear. "We worship the great Earth King!"

"I will kill you for that!" Amaimon hissed, furious at being struck.

"Then you'll die too!" She countered, grasping at the hand that held her. "Let me go!" She commanded and immediately the cloth slid from his hand. She let out a relieved breath as Amaimon seethed, fury rolling off of him in waves. Not even Mephisto had struck him. He'd been punished before sure but never outright slapped in the face! Camellia pointed a finger at the Priest who seemed to have gathered his nerve again. "Apologize to him!" She said firmly and Amaimon choked.

"I refuse!" He spat even as he felt a tremor race up his spine. A pain lanced through the seal on his chest, growing to a throbbing ache every second that he fought the order. It felt like someone had driven a hot poker into his lungs as they drew in on themselves, chest becoming tight, breath bated. His head dipped lower to the ground despite him stiffening his body and before he knew it he was bent in a shallow bow. His hand clutched at his chest, nails drawing blood. His body was just beginning to shake with convulsions when his mouth opened.

"I-I…I apo-olo...gize!" He finally gasped out, heaving in great lungful's of air. His body trembled with relief and he immediately straightened from the demeaning position and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. A flush of shame and boiling rage colored his face.

He hated them. He hated them all! Making him do such things! He would kill them! Mephisto would find him and sort this out and once his brother did he was going to slaughter them all! He didn't care what his older brother said! He would kill every last one of them!

"I apologize too! I'm sorry for striking you it was unbecoming and wrong of me." Camellia frowned worriedly, bowing deeply to him. Feeling rather faint she gathered her kimono around her and stumbled towards the awaiting temple. Amaimon's eyes met with the Priest's, his narrowed in hate, the man's firmly resigned.

"_He_ told me you would object and be a handful but there's no way for you to get free." The man murmured, expression grim and determined as Amaimon's eyes widened in alarm. "You can either be treated as a God, worshipped and loved…or you can be treated as a _slave_, bound to humans as demons _should be_. Either way you _will_ do this."

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** Aw poor Amaimon! Next chapter I hope to move the plot along faster if possible. On a side note Amaimon obviously isn't a god but there's evidence of demons being worshipped in Blue Exorcist, an example being Kuro who protected the silk farms from mice in exchange for offerings. **_

_**Ushi-oni are demons with a bovine head. Some are worshipped and viewed with respect while others are considered dangerous and feared.**_

_**Also I breathe REVIEWS instead of air! Lol!**_


	6. Chapter 6: The Shrine Doll

_**Author's Note:**__** Phew this chapter is a bit longer than the others! Lol. Also as a heads up things will start slowing down a bit as Amaimon learns about Camellia before they'll pick up again. Lemme know if anyone seems OOC, it's a big concern of mine!**_

**~~~GW~~~**

**Chapter 6: The Shrine Doll**

Amaimon was hustled into the shrine and examined with a mixture of awe and fear. His bloody, torn clothes were taken away for some reason and he was stuffed into a ridiculous dark green kimono. It was something he had seen Mephisto wear when they were lounging around his office and he'd jokingly tried one on once before abruptly having it torn off of him by his brother. He blinked obliviously, not realizing how bad that actually sounded. The male kimono consisted of a cumbersome amount of fabric that only got in the way as he moved and felt stiff and formal. He shifted uncomfortably in it, plucking at the collar of the fabric with an irritated frown. How was he supposed to fight in something like this? He wondered agitatedly.

He crouched in the corner of an empty room after the fit he'd pitched at his clothes being taken. The humans who had been good and properly scared of him had fled the room, bowing so many times on the way out he half expected their heads to fall off. The dressing screen he'd been forced to change behind lay mangled at his feet in a shredded mess and Amaimon narrowed his eyes, flexing his clawed hand in front of his face. Ever since he'd been summoned and that seal had appeared on his skin the body he was possessing had felt weird-off somehow like it didn't quite fit anymore. This whole thing was unsettling. He hated this feeling! Waves of agitation rolled off of him and he could feel the presence of weak demons shifting and rustling around him. The ground still trembled occasionally in unsettling waves.

From somewhere near him a gurgling chatter sounded and Amaimon blinked, lifting his arms and peering around the long swaths of cloth. From underneath his crouched legs a tiny hobgoblin scrambled into sight, peering up at him with large bulbous eyes. It was young, probably spawned not too long ago and about the size of his fist. Its tiny claws pricked at his clothes as it clambered into his lap with a questioning chirrup. Amaimon frowned down at its boldness as it perched itself on his knee and he narrowed his eyes, placing one long black fingernail on the top of its head. It almost reminded him of his familiar Behemoth when he'd first gotten him he thought, the stir of something like fondness prickling in his chest. He removed the claw, changing his mind about killing the little thing for its insolence. It gave a curious burble of noise and chewed at his finger, eyes locked on the Earth King's face.

Something suddenly dawned on Amaimon and he sat up so abruptly the thing squealed and latched its claws in his leg. He paid it no mind, seizing the tiny demon in his hand and lifting it to his face. He stared hard at it, blinking thoughtfully as his mind raced about. It was a weak little thing but it would have to do.

"You will go find brother." He ordered a growl in his voice. The hobgoblin tilted its head to the side and looked up at him with confusion. "Go find brother and bring him here!" He repeated, expression angry. There was a moment of silence as the two stared at one another, eyes blinking slowly before the order seemed to register in its slow mind and with a pitiful growl it scurried down from his leg and clawed its way up the wall to the window. With one last final curious look at Amaimon it leapt shakily into the air and streaked off into the sky, an image of a colorful man wearing a hat stuck firmly in its mind.

Amaimon sat there for a moment, eyes narrowed in deep thought. Mephisto was one of the few people who knew that when he actually focused his mind on something he could be quite cunning and intelligent. Most people assumed he was whimsical and thoughtlessly went along with whatever urge he felt and that was true to some extent. Thinking things over all of the time was too boring and why should he when Mephisto clearly enjoyed troubling himself with those things? But Mephisto wasn't here and Amaimon was after all, the Earth King son of Satan.

* * *

Camellia let out a worried sigh, one hand clutching the fabric of her fresh kimono in her lap and the other extended before her. One of the shrine maidens was busy swabbing with a cotton ball at the dried blood caked on the seal that had been gouged into her hand. She winced at the sting of antiseptic and bit her lip worriedly between her teeth. Her eyes strayed down to the hand in her lap and she turned it over slightly, noting with anxiety the red mark that was still there from slapping the Earth King. _The Earth King!_ How shameful! Her hand clenched tightly, brow knitted in worry. He would surely hate her now. She'd disgraced the temple and all of the people in the town by laying an unworthy hand on the demon Prince. If it wasn't for the seal binding them together she knew she'd be dead right now and the town would not be saved at all.

How had she let her emotions get out of hand? She was supposed to be the perfect symbol of polite respect. She'd been tasked with keeping the Earth King content and docile while he was here, something she guessed would be next to impossible considering he seemed prone to tempers. Not only that but the pressure of giving orders to such a powerful demon and preventing him from slaughtering them all fell solely on her shoulders. The Priest had made sure to remind her that the young boy with a blank stare was simply a guise and that what lay beneath the mask of flesh was still a ruthless demon.

The cut on the palm of her hand from the knife was cleaned and bandaged with careful fingers, the woman consciously keeping her head bowed respectfully, eyes trained on her work. Camellia had always been kept apart from others under the pretense that she was dainty and special. Associating with others would only taint her but what could possibly be more damning than having your soul bound to a demon? She supposed she hadn't been protected after all but simply saved for the Earth King. Maybe demons took offense to not having everything perfect? He didn't seem like he cared really.

And now she'd been abruptly elevated to a status beyond the reach of the others. An enigma. The girl who controlled the King of Earth one of the eight Princes of Hell. She was right there beside him, a thing to be worshipped and feared. A thing to never be touched or become personal with. Her eyes fell to her lap, eyes lowered under pale eyelashes. It didn't matter she told herself firmly. She would stand by the side of Prince Amaimon and keep him in line. She would keep her beloved people of the town who knew nothing about her and who would _never_ get close enough to know anything about her, safe from harm. She would save them all. Camellia pressed a hand to her chest, tears of fear and worry welling into her emerald eyes before she hurriedly blinked them away.

But…

But she was human and she could feel every time Amaimon fought against the seal in a constant wave of bombardment. Like a seething, raging monster contained in the bars of a gilded cage he struggled and lashed out in bursts of staggering power. Anxiety rose within her, threatening to overwhelm her and she wondered if she should tell the Priest?

She was weak and it was only a matter of time before Amaimon's strength overpowered her and he broke free and ran wild again… Or not. If her body gave out and she died as a result of him stubbornly fighting back at least she had the comfort of knowing he would die too.

* * *

Rin and Yukio burst into the door of the Exorcist shop in a mess of flailing limbs and shouts. Rin twirled around, sending a massive blast of brilliant cobalt flames in the direction of the oncoming horde while Yukio slammed the door shut to the sounds of screaming, dying demons. They stood there for a brief moment, chests heaving in ragged breaths of air before Yukio straightened his back and shoved the glasses that had slipped further up his nose.

"We have to hurry!" He insisted but Rin was already heading in the direction of the garden door.

"We have to find Shiemi!" He shot back, cupping his hands around his mouth. "OY SHIEMI!" He shouted, listening for a brief moment to his voice echo in the silent house. "Tch, don't tell me…!" He growled, knowing exactly where she was. Yukio meanwhile swept the shelves clean of packs of holy bullets, allowing the empty cartridge from his gun to clatter to the floor before he popped another one in place and slid the spares in his belt.

"Rin wait!" He shouted after his rash brother, snatching a couple cans of holy water off of the shelves. He made an odd mental note to pay for them later, if they got out of this mess that is. He was just following Rin to the door that led out to Shiemi's garden when a sudden high-pitched scream blasted the air.

"SHIEMI!" Rin and Yukio shouted and Rin wrenched the door open, sword drawn, Yukio not far behind him. They burst out into the fresh air and Rin drew up short, eyes wide with surprise as he took in the sight before him. The anti-demon barrier around the garden had been activated, glittering with a mottled blue like electricity as demons swarmed against it, tongues lolling and claws scrabbling to get inside. Every once in a while a shock would repel the weaker demons back before they shook the surprise off and launched themselves towards the barrier again. The sky was blocked out by the shear amount of demons and the clamor from their screeching, snarling mouths was deafening.

Shiemi lay sprawled on the ground, kimono dusty from the dirt as she raised her arms to shield herself. Rin's eyes flickered upwards and he took in the sight of the giant demon looming over his friend with alarm. It was big and green with giant tree trunk legs, roots digging into the ground and churning up precious flowers with each step. Vines twisted up its body, sprouts of green vegetation jutting off from its torso in haphazard clusters. Lumpy arms reached down for Shiemi, twitching fingers of vines shooting out to twine around her thin frame. She let out a terrified scream as she was bound and wrenched painfully into the air. Giant leaves fanned out from around its neck forming a mock collar of clothing and its mouth fell open in a great maw of jagged rocks and broken tool implements. Beautifully poisonous flowers bloomed over its eyes, face made of thousands of tiny leaves, eyes round bubbles of sap that oozed from holes like blood. Two jagged branches jutted from its head, twisting upwards towards the sky like demonic horns and it trailed leeching moss about its form like a ghostly shawl.

"SHIEMI!" Rin shouted, throwing himself forward, his sword raised above his head as he leapt at the creature.

"RIN! YUKIO!" Shiemi screamed, head snapping around to stare at them with wide astonished eyes. Rin crashed down, sword slicing through the thing's arm like a scythe through plant stalks and it gave a long, groaning moan as it stumbled backwards, bits of its body smoldering with blue flames. The arm fell to the ground, twitching and spasming before it died and flowers bloomed gorgeously from its remains, blending back into nature. Shiemi tumbled backwards, a flailing bundle of cloth and hair and limbs until she came to an abrupt stop and scrambled into a sitting position. A smudge of dirt coated her cheek and there were red welts on her arms where the vines had bound her tightly.

"Rin!" She cried, tears welling into her eyes at the sight of her rescuer.

"It's alright Shiemi, we're here to take you to safety!" Yukio shouted, gun trained on the plant demon.

"Shiemi, are you alright?" Rin demanded, sparing her a worried look before he clutched his sword tightly and grit his teeth, facing the monstrous demon again. "You bastard! Hurting Shiemi when she cares so much for her garden!" He growled, knowing plant demons tended to be fond of the loving girl.

"No! Rin I-!" The demon gave another shuddering moan and the wound where its arm had once been twitched and shifted before vines suddenly shot out, wriggling and twining back into place as foliage sprouted from the stump. The arm formed itself again, molding into thick fingers and joints as if it had never been removed.

"It just regrows?" Yukio demanded, preparing to fire at its leafy head.

"Damn you! I won't forgive you!" Rin snarled, raising his sword. "I'll just roast ya till there's nothing left!" He shouted before lunging forward.

"NO RIN STOP!" Shiemi cried, throwing herself forward. Her hand wrapped around his ankle and she fell into the dirt again as he lurched to a halt, turning to look down at her with shock.

"Shiemi?"

"You can't Rin! You can't kill him!" She sobbed, hauling herself from the dirt again. "You can't kill Nii-chan!" She cried, great big fat tears welling from her eyes and running down her face. The demon familiar gave another rumbling moan, taking a large step forward and violently shattering several clay pots below its foot.

"Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" It groaned and Rin and Yukio looked up at it with astonishment.

* * *

The academy grounds were in a state of chaos. The barrier had held up surprisingly well under the constant onslaught of demons and the students had been safely evacuated leaving only exorcists to combat the oncoming waves of monsters. Cries of alarm split the air, riddled with the sharp retort of gunshots and the hiss of holy water grenades bursting in the air. A cacophony of angry and agonized howls added to the explosion of noise.

"Che, if it keeps up like this!" One man ground his teeth, firing off his gun at a rapid pace, demons bursting into clouds of ash. The exorcist beside him wrenched the pin off of a grenade before chucking it into the mob. It passed safely through the glowing barrier before erupting in a spray of water that sizzled and fizzed on demon flesh.

"I know! I know! I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Do they know what's causing the demons to be in such a frenzy?" One woman asked beside them and he shook his head no, reloading his gun in a hurry.

"That's the thing! It's like something has driven them mad all of a sudden! Exorcists have been out combing the land in the vicinity. There's no signs of an angered higher level demon or any natural factors that could be causing this!" He replied, brow knit in worry and confusion.

"Guh! Look at them all!" The other man gulped nervously. "There's no e-" He cut of sharply as a massive crack suddenly snapped across the barrier, a jagged split branching its way up the glittering shield of light. As if sensing the weakness the demons pressed forwards, bodies bombarding the weakening barrier with renewed vigor. A collective, horrified gasp rose from the line of fighting exorcists and with terror they watched as it suddenly burst in a rain of shattering fragments that pelted down on them.

"NO!"

"IT'S NO USE RETREAT!" Came the screams. The two men snapped out of their daze and one of them whirled around to flee while the other provided backup cover. The man turned to run when he abruptly bounced off of the chest of someone. He barely had time to get an eyeful of a garish pink and white polka-dotted ascot before he was landing on his ass, blinking up in astonishment at a deviously grinning Mephisto.

"P-Principal?" The two gasped in astonishment.

"Oya oya! What has been happening to my precious school?" Mephisto grinned, grasping the brim of his top hat between his lithe fingers. It cast an eerie shadow across one eye, the other narrowed pupil focused downwards on the man sitting surprised on the ground. Above them the demons roared towards them, screeches deafening, claws extended in malicious fury. Mephisto's head snapped upwards, a confident grin spreading across his face as he swung his pink umbrella upwards, directing it straight at the mob descending upon them. "Oho! Attacking my school with no forewarning! How bold of you…" He sneered, eyes narrowing in irritation.

* * *

The tiny hobgoblin pressed its way through the clamoring, writhing mob of its brethren, eyes searching frantically about as it wobbled unsteadily in the air. The urge to complete its master's order to find the colorfully clothed man filled its small body and with a burble of noise it wriggled its form through the crowd and finally popped free as the mass burst through the barrier and descended on the humans below. In its simple mind it wasn't quite sure what was going on and a prick of curiosity filled it before its eyes suddenly landed on a white clothed figure below. With an excited chirrup it recognized the man from Amaimon's orders and eyes wide, tongue flopping out of its mouth it took off in a burst of renewed energy, surging downwards along with the rest of the demons. It was just close enough to get a good look at Mephisto's widely grinning face when an odd object was pointed up at them and his lips parted.

* * *

"Ein, zwei, drei!" Mephisto called out strongly and a flash erupted from the tip of his umbrella. Brilliant glowing cartoon shaped stars burst from the end whizzing upwards through the air at a stunning speed. Thousands of stars streaked across the sky like a hail of comets and peppered the mass of demons leaving trails of light behind them. As they struck their marks they exploded in a stunning display of colorful fireworks that arched beautifully and shimmered before fizzling harmlessly towards the ground. The remaining exorcists watched in stunned silence as the horde of demons was easily cut down, the light show filling the area with a soft glow.

"That's…"

"…incredible!" The two men chorused staring in amazement. Not one demon was left after the lights faded and a shocking lull of silence settled on the school grounds.

"Oh, you think so?" Mephisto grinned, pleased by the reaction his little show was getting.

"Or rather…why didn't you just do that sooner?" One of the guys deadpanned, turning weary eyes on the eccentric man and Mephisto twitched, turning his face away with a sullen pout.

"Don't question your superiors!" He shot back before turning abruptly and with a flutter of his coat and a jaunty twirl of his umbrella he vanished in a puff of pink smoke that left the two men coughing.

Mephisto appeared on the roof of one of the school's buildings, his boot clad feet treading easily across the tiles. His eyes narrowed in thought as he surveyed the exorcists moving frantically about below him, attempting to set some semblance of order to the mess they found themselves in. It hadn't gone unnoticed to him that all of the demons attacking were Earth type ones commanded under Amaimon's rule. He was certain now, his suspicions confirmed. A smirk curled his lips into an impish grin as he tried to imagine what sort of trouble his younger brother could have found this time.

"Fufu dearest brother, where could you be now?"

* * *

They sat across from one another in awkward silence, her eyes fixed nervously to the table in front of her, his focused completely on her. Her eyes flickered up to glance at him again, brow knitting in confusion, before returning back to the smooth wood of the table. Amaimon was crouched firmly _on_ his end of the table in a complete disregard of manners, knees pulled up to his chest, nibbling at his black thumbnail. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at her from across the table, the slap still fresh in his mind. Anxiously her fingers twisted the white fabric of her kimono in her lap and she cleared her throat with a delicate _ahem_ before seemingly scraping together some confidence.

"Have…have you been finding everything to your liking Prince Amaimon?" She asked politely and he twisted around from the window he had begun staring out of.

"This place reeks of death." He stated blandly, nose crinkling in dislike. He expected her to flail about like the other humans seemed to do whenever he was so blunt but she just looked saddened.

"It didn't used to." He tilted his head to the side and watched her closely. "If…if you will just fix the land we can heal from there... Father Kougu says once the land is thriving the people will grow healthy and you'll be able to leave." She told him and he frowned to himself. That was it? They were just planning on letting him go once the grass was growing?

"How do you know I won't kill you once I'm free?" He countered slyly, bored eyes observing her expression. She fiddled with the hem of her clothes and hesitated before opening her mouth to answer him when the door slid open. She looked up to see who had entered but Amaimon ignored them and continued to watch her. He didn't believe what she'd said about being released from the seal. There had to be a catch somewhere. If there was one thing he'd learned from spending time with Mephisto it was that what happened _after_ a plan was equally as important as what happened _during_ it. The warm scent of food caught his attention and with interested eyes he finally looked up. A young boy had paused in the door to bow politely to them before he shakily hefted a tray of food in his hands and carefully made his way to the table. He was pathetically thin, pale and lanky with scraggly black hair that hung around his face like a curtain. He barely made it to the table without tripping and smiled respectfully at Camellia as he began placing the food on the table.

He'd just reached Amaimon's end and was lifting a bowl of rice to place in front of the demon when Amaimon spied something that immediately caught his interest. His hand shot out, fingers snaring the boy's wrist, black nails pricking dangerously at the soft skin. The boy let out an alarmed cry as he was abruptly hauled forward, the bowl of rice clattering to the table in a mess of spilt food. Amaimon's other hand slid up his arm, shoving his sleeve up past the crook of his elbow and he leaned forward, mouth curving into a frown as he examined the arm closely.

"What-?"

"Prince Amaimon!" Camellia cried, rising nervously to her feet. Did food not satisfy the King of Earth? Did he demand sacrifices instead? She thought frantically, expecting the demon to take a massive bite out of the boy's arm at any moment. She was just about to open her mouth to order him to release the boy when Amaimon spoke, a trace of curiosity in his words.

"What is this?" He muttered, peering closely at the skin. He twisted the boy's arm unforgivingly so Camellia could catch a glimpse. There along the inside of the arm the skin had turned a horrible splotchy black color. The flesh was swollen and puffed up, mottled colors of red and grey and green ringed the edges before darkening to purple and finally black. There was a bandage pressed in the center and the dark stain of old blood had seeped through. Lines of angry red streaked across his skin before merging with the paths of his veins. The skin was hot to the touch and feverish underneath Amaimon's claws. Camellia looked stricken and quickly sat back down, pressing a hand to her chest. Her large sorrowful eyes turned to the boy's and he quickly avoided her gaze.

"That's one of the diseases that has been spreading through the town. It's a rot that blackens the skin and spreads infection…" She whispered and the human winced as Amaimon finally released his arm. He rubbed the feeling back into his wrist and bowed nervously at Amaimon, eyes averted to the floor.

"I-I apologize Prince A-Amaimon! It's not contagious! We can prepare m-more food for you if you'd like! Someone else can serve you!" He stammered looking miserable. Amaimon watched him with a blank expression as he hurriedly cleaned the mess of rice up, hands trembling badly. Ah, it was no wonder he could barely lift that heavy tray with his muscles rotting. Amaimon noted, irritation rising in him at the boy's nervous babbling. "Really everything's clean! It's only on my arm! I-I can bring more food-" He rambled, reaching forward to grab a bowl from in front of Amaimon. With a huff of annoyance Amaimon snatched the bowl away from him and glared at the surprised human.

"You're noisy." He growled. "Also don't bring food and then take it away." He glowered and the boy blinked before bowing hurriedly.

"Yes! I apologize Prince Amaimon!" He swallowed with relief before scurrying towards the door.

"I'm…I'm so sorry, I didn't know you had it…" Camellia murmured sadly, watching him leave. The boy paused at the doorway and flashed her a thin smile, not meeting her eyes before he closed the door quietly behind him. There was a moment of silence as Amaimon inspected the food in his hands and Camellia watched him.

"Thank you." She spoke up and smiled a soft smile at him. Amaimon blinked in surprise and stared silently back at her. With the smile still on her face she bowed her head and pressed her hands together in a habitual prayer.

"We ask that you watch over us in our time of need. May the land be rich, the fields plentiful and the people healthy. Earth King Amai-" She suddenly froze, lips pressing together as an embarrassed flush flooded her face and she glanced up at the demon she'd been in the process of praying to. Amaimon bluntly returned the stare, curious as to what she was doing. Was she praying to him? A demon? That couldn't be right…was he supposed to reply to her? He wondered, tilting his head curiously to the side, eyes wide. "Um…we thank you for this meal you have blessed us with." She hurriedly finished and the table lapsed into an awkward silence again.

"You are welcome." He suddenly smirked, lips parting in a mischievous grin, watching in delight as she jumped and flushed a brighter shade of red. He turned his attention down to the bowl of food in his hands and sniffed at the mush, nose crinkling in distaste. It was a sloppy soupy mixture of some kind, an off grey in color and slimy looking. With a frown Amaimon abruptly dipped two fingers in the stew and popped them into his mouth, cringing immediately before removing the digits and subtly wiping his hand on the side of the cumbersome kimono he wore. The stuff was bland in taste and completely unappetizing to him. A sullen pout formed on his face. All the more reason to hate this place. As if sensing his distaste Camellia spoke.

"We don't have much food so we eat what we can. Salt and sugar are rare treats for us." She informed him, apologizing for the inconvenience. Amaimon blanched and slid the bowl away, refusing to eat as he gnawed at his nail in agitation. No sugar? No sweets? His mouth watered thinking of the bags of candy that had been lost when he'd unexpectedly been summoned. His mouth suddenly felt extremely empty and he yearned for a colorful lollipop or soft chocolate to occupy his tongue.

His attention turned back to Camellia and he watched her with an air of boredom as she ate. He wasn't quite sure what to make out of being prayed to. Thinking it over he allowed himself to settle on the table, crossing his legs and placing his hands idly in his lap. There was something about this girl that was calming. He pondered, focusing on her soft green eyes. Green like the color of moss... Maybe it was because she hardly seemed there? She was almost like a pretty decoration in Mephisto's office that he'd been firmly ordered not to touch least he break it. She didn't have much of a personality. In fact she was rather boring, barely speaking up or doing anything out of the ordinary. Like a doll. He realized. She was just like a doll built for the shrine. Clothed completely in white, white hair, white skin. An absence of color and an absence of personality.

He stared at her with a glare and she glanced up, flashing him a polite smile, a quirk of the lips really, before averting her gaze again. Amaimon scowled.

Like a fragile doll…

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** To anyone who thinks Camellia doesn't have much of a personality you'd be correct. There's been glimpses of it here and there but really she's been purposefully kept as rather weak and bland. It's just how she's been trained. Polite. Respectful. Perfect. This won't last forever though… *mischievous* Also thank you guys SO much for all of the reviews so far! They've really been helping me churn out these updates so quickly! So please REVIEW!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Hopelessly Clawing

_**Author's Note:**__** I apologize for the shortness of this chapter but it's a transitional one. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed so far! I promise things will pick up and get actiony again soon! xD**_

**~~~GW~~~**

**Chapter 7: Hopelessly Clawing**

"Ehhh? Nii-chan?" Rin shouted in astonishment, looking between an upset Shiemi and the lumbering plant demon.

"That's Shiemi's familiar?" Yukio frowned, eyes wide. "What on earth has happened to it?" He demanded seriously. Shiemi pressed a hand to her chest and looked up at the groaning demon with tear filled eyes. They ran down her cheeks, smearing the mud smudged on her face.

"Those demons started attacking the shop! I called out Nii-chan to help and he grew!" She cried, scrubbing at her tears. "Something's wrong with Nii-chan!" She gulped, pushing herself to her feet.

"I see…so the same thing has happened here…" Yukio muttered.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Rin demanded, watching Nii as it growled and lurched closer.

"That's simple! It's your familiar Shiemi!" Yukio exclaimed, eyes flying wide open. "Where's the seal you used to summon it with?" He shouted and Rin grinned.

"That's right! Just trash the paper!"

"I…" Shiemi looked stricken, tears welling in her eyes again. "I lost it when Nii-chan attacked! It's somewhere in the garden!" She called back and Rin grit his teeth.

"Rin! Keep it busy while I find the paper!" Yukio shouted, tucking his gun into his belt and scrambling in the direction Shiemi was pointing.

"Oy-!" Rin began when he was abruptly struck by a mass of wriggling vines. He flew back, tumbling into Shiemi with a surprised cry before hurriedly hauling them to their feet again. With an agitated growl he sheathed his sword, afraid to use it against the familiar. If he accidentally killed it with his flames he'd never be able to face Shiemi again! He decided with a grimace.

"Rin!" Shiemi gasped, looking up at him with large pleading eyes, hands clutching desperately at his sleeve.

"Tch! I know, I know!" He growled, before softening his expression into a confident smile. "It'll be alright Shiemi! Nii will be fine!" He grinned at her and a relieved expression filled her moon shaped face.

"Mm!" She nodded, releasing his arm. "RIN!" She suddenly shouted in alarm and Rin whirled around, bringing the sheath of his sword up in time to block the whip of vines that smashed into him. He parried the blow as Shiemi moved back and with a grit of his teeth he charged forward. His feet struck the monstrous Nii in the chest, sinking into the mess of foliage and roots and the familiar gave a keening groan, vines spurting from the gap to wrap around his legs. With a shout Rin flailed, bringing his sheathed sword down with a desperate swipe. The leaves parted and he fell to the ground with an _oomph_, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid being trampled by a massive foot.

Yukio ducked a swipe of vines thrown his way and scrambled away from the twisting roots bursting from the ground. They wriggled in the air attempting to snare his feet and trip him up. Poisonous plants sprouted from the ground, their petals quickly unfurling and Yukio grit his teeth as the ground was quickly swallowed by leafy shoots. He dug his way through the shrubs and haphazard growth, eyes frantically scanning the ground. With a start he spotted something white lying underneath a growing bush and lunged at it. A sudden hiss erupted as the ground pulsated before sharp needles shot from the grass and the gaping mouth of a giant Venus flytrap sprouted from the ground before snapping closed and swallowing the paper summon whole.

Vines twisted around Yukio's ankles and he was abruptly wrenched back with a cry of surprise. He fell to the ground, breath whooshing out of him as his body lurched back, the vines dragging him across the yard and towards the gate where masses of demons still swarmed. The lush thick vines curled around his legs, binding them together and slithering up his body. With a grit of his teeth his deft fingers snapped open his gun holster, barely managing to pull his gun free from the probing tendrils before they claimed his exorcist belt. They twined around his thin frame, squeezing the breath from his lungs and crushing tightly on him. With a gasp Yukio raised his gun, aiming at the Venus flytrap with unsteady hands. He squeezed the trigger and the mouth of the flytrap exploded in a spray of green mush.

Rin tumbled to the ground with a cry, a hail of thorns and shards of shattered pottery peppering the two of them. The thorns pierced Rin's skin, blood welling up from the wounds and trickling down his skin in bright streaks of crimson. Shiemi screamed, raising the sleeve of her kimono in an attempt to block the stinging bits as they rained down.

"SHIEMI!" Rin shouted, desperately blocking another attack with a swing of his sheathed sword.

The vines slithered up Yukio's neck, wrapping around his throat and tightening. His breath caught, white spots popping into his vision as he squinted one eye, aiming for the stalk of the flytrap. One arm was wrenched down by his side and bound tightly to his body and with a steadying exhale of what little breath he had left, Yukio squeezed the trigger a second time and the gun erupted, bullet bursting through the throat of the flytrap and shredding the summons paper.

In an abrupt cease of movement Nii-chan suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, plants falling limply to the ground. The vines twining around Yukio loosened before slithering to the earth in a pile of green. They sat there for a moment panting before Rin hauled himself to his feet, frowning as he tugged a splinter of wood from his skin and it hissed closed. He opened his mouth to make a cheerful remark when the weak barrier surrounding the garden shattered.

"Let's go!" Yukio shouted, scrambling to his feet with a wince. His ribs felt bruised but he ignored it as he snatched his gun up and made for the door to the shop. Rin grabbed Shiemi's hand and yanked her behind him as Yukio hurriedly fished his ring of keys out of his pocket. With a slight fumble he pulled the key for the academy out and jammed it into the lock, twisting it and forcefully throwing the door open. They tumbled into the safety of the academy and whirled around, Rin and Yukio simultaneously slamming the door shut as it was bombarded with demons. The light around the door faded and Yukio let out a relieved sigh as it turned back into an ordinary classroom.

"What…what will happen to Nii-chan now?" Shiemi spoke up behind them, a worried look on her face and the two of them turned around to face her, Yukio pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"There's no telling Shiemi, we don't know what's causing the demons to go wild." He replied honestly and Rin clapped a hand down on her shoulder. She blinked and looked up at him.

"Nii-chan will definitely return to normal when this is over!" He swore seriously, tousling her hair with a warm smile.

"Ah, you think so?" She brightened, feeling more relieved.

"Definitely!" Rin nodded and Yukio frowned.

"Until then I wouldn't summon any familiars if I were you. It could be dangerous." The younger twin warned her and she bobbed her head up and down in understanding.

"What should we do now?" Rin asked, glancing at his brother. Yukio checked his gun and then returned the look with determination.

"_I'm_ going to go assist with the rest of the efforts." Rin opened his mouth to object, a flash of indignation crossing his face. "You should take _Shiemi_ and evacuate with the others!" Yukio interrupted, stressing Shiemi's name and Rin clamped his mouth closed, glancing down at the girl who fidgeted nervously. "A Tamer can't do much without their familiars. She needs your protection Rin." Yukio continued and Shiemi bowed her head, eyes downcast at how useless she felt. Always needing saving…

"R-Right!" Rin agreed, turning to Shiemi with a serious look. "Let's go Shiemi we can find Bon and the others!"

* * *

Amaimon hissed as his hand was violently repelled backwards away from the window. He'd been taken to a room with a bed and ordered firmly to not leave before Camellia had bade him goodnight.

"Tomorrow you'll help us cure the land." She'd smiled at him before leaving. Heal the land his ass! He scoffed, fingernails scraping down the glass pane with a horrible screech so that it left behind thin scratches.

Amaimon sat abruptly on the floor, ignoring the bed in the room, and crossed his legs, hands on his knees as he thought things over. On a spontaneous whim he peeled back the hem of the green kimono he wore and examined the seal on his chest. It had healed immediately and left behind new shiny flesh in the form of scars that made up the seal. He'd already tried to destroy the one located on the girl's body and been unsuccessful. But maybe…

Without batting an eye Amaimon sunk his claws deep into the skin above the mark. Blood welled immediately from the wounds and oozed down his pale flesh, the wounds trying to heal around his fingernails. With a deft jerk of his hand he dragged his claws viciously across the seal, wide gouges splitting the skin open. His mouth quirked into a triumphant grin only to morph into an irritated sneer as the skin stitched itself together with a hiss of smoke and the seal appeared once again. With an angered snarl Amaimon seized a vase near him and slung it towards the window. They both shattered violently, glass in the window giving a slight tinkling crunch noise as it fell to the ground outside. But it didn't matter, it wasn't like it he could leave through it.

Feeling rather resentful and trapped all in one Amaimon crawled on top of a bookshelf that only served to remind him of the one in his brother's office. He curled up there, clawing at the seal a couple more times before finally giving up with an irritated flick of his claws. Dark blood spattered the floor but he didn't care in the least bit.

He wanted to go back to his brother's office, back to the academy where he could come and go as he pleased and no one told him to stay in a boring room and sleep when he clearly didn't need or want to. He wanted that bag of candy he'd dropped outside that town, missed the sweet taste of those lollipops he liked so much. He _wanted_ to kill all of the people in this town and leave.

* * *

Down below the earth in the cave Amaimon had been summoned in one lone candle guttered weakly against the intense pressing darkness. The Priest's figure could just barely be seen, white robes practically glowing in the dark as he seemingly conversed with someone. His words were quick and agitated, fear seeping out from him in waves, sweat beading on his skin. He mopped at his forehead and swallowed thickly.

"He's more of a handful than I thought! There isn't much time…" The Priest groaned nervously.

"It will be worth it…" The flash of a wickedly sharp grin. The purr of a voice. "_Trust_ me."

Nails scrapped against smooth stone and a rush of power left the room.

A body slumped to the ground.

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Note:**__** Next chapter we see more of Amaimon and Camellia. Things are calming down at the academy, maybe Mephisto will finally get to look for Amaimon? Lol. REVIEWS make me squeal like a cat having its tail trod on…but in a good way!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Tainted Tears

_**Author's Notice**__**: So this chapter was bordering on fifteen plus pages and still nowhere near completion so it has actually been split in two and this is the first portion. Just to let you guys know this chapter and the next will be focusing on character development and then I'm excited to say the end of chapter nine and chapter ten will be when things really begin to get serious. The plot is steadily coming together guys! Thank you all for being so patient and please enjoy!**_

**~~~GW~~~**

**Chapter 8: Tainted Tears**

Amaimon's blue eyes fluttered open underneath heavy eyelids and he frowned, blinking himself awake. It took him a moment of looking about to realize he was curled on the top of a bookcase in a room he wasn't familiar with. He _did_ recognize it though and he knew exactly where he was. How could he forget? An unpleasant frown blanketed his face, sharp canines pressing into his lower lip as he stretched, popping his neck loudly from having been in a cramped position all night. He crouched down hunched over, claws curling around the top of the bookshelf before he slid to the ground with practiced ease. His bare feet hit the ground and he stumbled, pressing one hand against the floor to keep from falling over. With wide eyes he lifted his hand to his face and flexed his fingers. He felt significantly weaker this morning, as if a good bit of his energy had been sucked out overnight.

"What is this seal?" He wondered aloud, surprised he'd actually fallen asleep. He rolled his shoulders in a shrug as if trying to adjust himself properly in the body he was possessing. He'd been in this same host for a good many years, it fit him well and was strong. His eyes flickered about the room at the shattered glass and blood spatters on the ground and he noticed something in the corner. His clothes had been stacked in a neat pile and with a brief delighted grin he appeared beside them and tugged his beloved coat out of the stack. The torn patch where he'd clawed at his own chest had been neatly stitched together and repaired adding yet another battle scar to the tattered coat. It had literally been to hell and back with him, multiple times in fact and been ripped and clawed, singed and even chewed at in some places. It was one of the few items that he actually possessed and cared enough about to carry around with him as he wandered about the two worlds.

Feeling a bit comforted, Amaimon hurriedly shed the stifling kimono and tugged on his familiar clothes. He felt more like himself now and less like a kidnapped demon turned idolized god. He would've felt grateful to whoever had returned his clothes but they'd taken them in the first place and in his eyes this negated the act of kindness. Feeling restless now Amaimon ducked out of the room, peering curiously around him as he navigated the halls. Eventually he lost his patience and chose a random room, throwing the window up and climbing onto the sill before leaping to the ground. This time he didn't falter as he landed. Amaimon glanced to the left and spotted the silly shrine the humans had set up for him. The candles lit had guttered out in the night, drowned by their own wax and an assortment of items lay at the gilded statue's feet. Curiously he drifted over, crouching down and poking a claw through the junk. Everything from dried flowers and weak offerings of food to rolled parchments of paper with writing on them, shined rocks that had been found, toys from children and bottles and cans of alcohol. He picked up a bright blue marble and rolled it between his thumb and finger, admiring the way it caught the light. It almost reminded him of the flames of his father and younger brother.

There was a sudden gasp from behind him and Amaimon twisted his neck to peer over his shoulder at the little human child standing there. Her eyes were enormous as she stared up at him in awed wonder, some kind of limp cloth object clutched tightly in her pale hands.

"Y-You're…!" She stammered in surprise. She was a tiny thing, frail and scrawny with short black hair that curled around her moon shaped face. She probably didn't even reach his waist if they stood together. A look of worry and suspicion crossed her face and she leaned forward, shoving her face into his and peering up at him with large eyes. "Are you really Prince Amaimon? _Really,_ really?" She demanded and he stared back at her unblinking.

"Yes." He replied simply and a delighted smile lit up her face before the worry returned. Her eyes shined with a hopeful light that Amaimon didn't understand and she abruptly grabbed one of his clawed hands and forced the floppy object into his grasp. With an irritated twitch of surprise he looked down. It was a small cloth doll made out of leftover scrap fabric and stuffed until its form was filled out. The thing's eyes ogled up at him, a floppy tongue sewn into its mouth. It was worn but a lot of effort had gone into it and the little girl looked at it as if it were her best friend. He looked back up at her and she bit her lip, brow furrowed. "What is this?" He demanded.

"It's a hobgoblin doll! My mom made it and it's my favorite!" She enthused.

"No…what should I do with this?" He asked curiously and she frowned, pointing a finger at the shrine.

"It's for you! It's an offering-" She informed him, scrutinizing his face closely. "-don't you like it? His name is Obake and he's the only thing I have. Momma says you have to give offerings of things important to you so the Earth King can see you mean it." She said breathlessly and Amaimon blinked as she tugged the doll from his hands again. She pressed it to her chest in one last bone crushing hug and then crouched in front of the shrine and tenderly propped it up against the foot of the statue so that the doll could watch what was happening around it. She clasped her hands tightly together, knuckles turning white and bowed her head. "Earth King Amaimon please please _please_ make my brother better! He's been tired and sick lately and the rot has gotten on his arm!" She prayed loudly, eyes clamped tightly closed. "Please help my brother get better! Please!" Then she blinked open her large eyes and unclasped her hands, twisting her small little body around so she could look at Amaimon. "Did you hear that? Could you hear my prayers?" She asked quite earnestly and he stared at her. Was she serious? She'd said everything out loud and he was sitting right here! He thought with aggravation.

"Come now, don't pester the Earth King." Came a soft voice from beside them and Camellia emerged from the shrine, a soft smile on her face.

"I wasn't!" The girl insisted, a pout forming on her face. "I was making an offering!" She whirled around and thrust her finger into his face. "You'll think about it right? I'll pray every day! So think about it!" She stressed before scampering away. Amaimon stared after her bobbing form as she ran away, not quite sure what had just happened. Behind him a trilling noise burst into the air and Amaimon snapped his head around, watching as Camellia smothered a laugh. His eyes narrowed.

"Don't laugh at me!" He snapped, temper flaring dangerously. The white haired girl stopped and smiled an amused smile down at him.

"I wasn't laughing at _you_." She countered, descending the short stairs. "It wasn't meant to be rude, forgive me." She apologized sincerely. Camellia gestured for him to follow her and with a scowl he rose to his feet and did.

The two of them made their way to the decrepit farmlands where people were laboring away slowly at the hardened earth. Farmers stood ankle deep in murky rice fields and children raced about, tugging scraggly clumps of weeds from between rows of corn and squash. The people paused in their work as Amaimon and Camellia passed by and glanced at one another with uncertainty.

"You're the Earth King, surely it won't be hard to amend things?" Camellia spoke up, a hopeful light in her eyes. She looked out of place surrounded by a sea of brown dirt and mud like a lone surviving white flower in a desert of decay. Amaimon remained silent and instead crouched down and dug his hands into the dirt at his feet. His fingers burrowed past the top layer of dried, cracked mud, his nails pressing into the cool soil. The area surrounding the farms was strangely empty of demons and there was a noticeable lack of life overall. That was a bit disconcerting. Normally around gardens and farms at least a plethora of Greenman demons could be found if nothing else. "Can you fix it?" Camellia interrupted his thoughts and he looked up at her, rising to his feet, dirt trickling from between his claws.

"What if I say no?" He asked and her expression hardened.

"I'll tell you to fix it anyways." She replied firmly. He rolled his shoulders in a shrug and brushed past her.

"I'm the King of Earth." He shot back, feeling a bit insulted. He strode down the middle of one farm, his tattered coat billowing behind him as the ground rumbled dangerously beneath their feet. A few people stumbled, taking fearful steps away from him as he passed by and the ground heaved underneath them.

"L-Lady Camellia should we be here…?" One grungy looking man asked curiously, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. She hesitated watching the narrow back of Amaimon as he moved.

"It should be alright, just make sure everyone stays out of the way." She instructed him and the man nodded. Amaimon ground his boot clad feet in the hard dirt and swiped upwards with his arm, claws extended towards the sky. The ground tremored, loose soil sliding about as he shifted underlying layers upwards. Rocks burst apart below the surface and black mud oozed between cracks like blood as the exhausted earth was forced downwards into the planet's healing embrace. A part of one farm suddenly sank downwards, the farmer screaming in fear before a layer of earth pushed it back upwards. Amaimon frowned at the tedious caution he was having to use, irritated at having his power extorted for such a silly purpose. With a smirk he snapped his fingers and a series of loud pops filled the air as demons of all kinds suddenly filled the air. Shouts of fear erupted and the humans cowered around Camellia's white form.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded in concern, eyes wide as a demon scurried past her feet. Amaimon turned around, a tiny impish looking stick demon crawling its way up his shoulder. He lifted one hand and the twig demon's tiny legs prodded at his fingers before slowly clambering to the tip of one finger. A blossom of green sprouted from its back and with a content chirrup it grew still looking for all the world like a budding plant.

"They will help this land grow. Anh? Didn't you know demons under earth manipulate it too? If you treat them right they'll take care of the things around them in return." He explained slyly as a Greenman trundled forward on stubby legs. It prodded at the base of a sprout of corn and the plant slowly greened and straightened its stalk. A demon that looked similar to a mutated otter slid into the water in the rice fields leaving streaks of pure blue water behind it as its body liquefied into water and it blended flawlessly into the flow. Around the land shoots of grass and tiny delicate plants began to sprout, forcing their roots into the ground and leaves towards the clouds. A sluggish blob of muck trailed by one man's foot and he jumped back in fright as a trail of sludge oozed behind it turning into rich mud.

"No way…" The farmers stared in shock as the earth slowly began to heal itself.

"Demons…help the land?" Another man mumbled, scratching at his head.

"They've always just attacked the village. They don't look so vicious now though." One commented, crouching down to poke at a leafy demon. It chided him sharply in a high pitched quivering voice before ducking out of sight into the rows of vegetables. Camellia blinked in astonishment as the smaller demons crawled about, each searching for their own little niche after being so abruptly summoned here. Amaimon sat in the middle of it all, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees with an extremely bored expression on his face.

"Will they really help the land? Will everything return to being green?" She asked cautiously and he blinked up at her a Greenman running in circles around the spike of hair on his head.

"Maybe-" He droned, flicking the annoying demon from his head. "If they like it here. Instead of wasting them, give offerings to the demons that _really_ care about humans." He scowled, glaring up at her with sullen eyes. She glanced down at him for a moment before standing on her tiptoes and spinning around, her white robes flaring out around her lithe form as she took in the budding green spreading around them. The scrabble and darting movements of the little demons and the careful approach of the disbelieving humans filled the area with active motion. And suddenly a wide smile was spreading across her mouth as she clapped her hands together in a sudden noise that sent the small demons scrambling away from her in alarm.

"Oh this is great! This is marvelous!" She exclaimed, her eyes suddenly bright with energy as she stared down at him. He met her eyes with confusion, lofting a round eyebrow at her. "Look at all of the life you've created here!" She enthused gesturing at the fresh new greenery and the bustling activity and Amaimon startled. No one had ever referred to his work in that way. Humans cursed the destructive nature of earthquakes. They fled in terror and called it a tragedy when one of his volcanoes erupted in an attempt to create fresh land. When earth gave away to water or slid from the mountains they called it weak. The demons that scurried around rejuvenating plants were pests and the sluggish mountain golems that cultivated the rocks were bothersome. When trees and plants grew in the wrong areas humans cut them down in irritation and when they refused to grow where beckoned they were cursed as worthless.

He watched the strange shrine doll as she brushed her fingers over a delicate shoot of corn before quickly withdrawing her hand as a tiny Greenman trundled past. Her porcelain mask was carved with a smile, red blush applied to her cheeks at her delight. Other humans began to gather closer, equally as confusing smiles forcing their lips upwards as they examined the land around them and uneasily Amaimon rose to his feet. Suddenly she shot to her feet as well and wheeled on him and with alarm he drew back away from her.

"Oh! Come on!" She commanded without thinking, turning to flee down the neat rows of plants. Her white robes fluttered behind her like a sterile flag on a battlefield and Amaimon hesitated before he felt the familiar painful prickle tingling through his legs. Reluctantly he followed her, his boot clad feet grinding in the dirt as he lazily leapt into the air and easily covered the distance she'd traveled in one jump. He landed behind her and then much to his irritation she just kept moving. With a growl of annoyance he launched himself into the air yet again before he landed in front of her this time, rising from his crouch only to have her bounce off of his narrow chest with a squeak. He reached out to snag her arms in his clawed hands with a huff as she finally came to an abrupt halt.

"Stop moving!" He snapped and then sneered in confusion when she didn't meet his irritated gaze. Slowly he glanced to her eyes and then followed her gaze to where she was looking over his shoulder and there at the edge of the farms were the great twisting powerful trunks of healthy blooming trees. Camellia's eyes were wide in astonishment, the green catching the light like the shined marble he'd found earlier at the shrine. She took a step forward, her dainty hands pressing to her chest as if to steady her racing heart. A forest lay sprawled beyond the town, some of the trees still rising from the ground, pushing and shoving for space in the crowded area. Branches crawled towards the sky in jagged limbs and green blossomed in bright healthy sprouts as leaves unfurled, fresh and shiny in their new lives. White blossoms peeped through here and there from flowering pear trees and bushes squatted humbly at their bases, content with the little space they had been allotted next to the towering giants. And from among the branches and brambles and leaves came the many twittering calls of demons communicating with one another in warbles and high pitched screeches and trilling songful noises.

She felt her face grow hot as tears filled her eyes at the undeniable image of _life_ before her and she pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the noises wishing to emerge from her throat. So instead she swallowed, suddenly incredibly thankful to the demon standing so casually before her and she said:

"It's beautiful."Amaimon watched her with growing confusion, his brow wrinkled in misunderstanding as beads of water fell from her eyes. Didn't humans normally cry when they were sad? Wasn't that how brother had explained it to him? He pondered thoughtfully. She wasn't injured that he could see or for that matter feel. So was she displeased in some way? Was this not what she wanted? What she had ordered? He thought in growing irritation. He didn't understand! And like any curious creature that didn't understand he sought to prod at it until he did.

"This?" He spoke up, his lips parting briefly as he sauntered over to one of the trees. "This is just a tree." He pointed out as if it might not be that obvious to her. She followed after him, stepping cautiously underneath the canopy of trees as he placed his hand flat on the trunk of the tree, his black nails scraping at the bark before his lips twitched briefly in a sign of mischief. Suddenly the tree let out a keening moan as if it were in pain and just like that its leaves browned and curled in on themselves before showering the two of them in crinkling crumbling bits. The trunk shriveled and groaned before splitting open in sharp splinters. The thing died before her eyes and his eyes flickered upwards to glance at her expression, a smirk suddenly impishly curling his mouth as he moved on to the next tree._ This is what I think of your orders human. I am the King of Earth and things die at my whim. _His hand reached out again and he could feel the tree shudder underneath his palm as he made to touch the smooth surface of its trunk.

"STOP IT!" The girl suddenly screamed from behind him and he froze, his fingers snapping to a painful halt as the muscles retracted all along his arm. The devious smirk fell from his countenance as his eyes cast upon her face again and once more it had grown hot only this time in _anger._ "Stop that! Stop killing them!" She shouted at him, red coloring her normally pale colorless face. The doll's china mask was cracking and crumbling and suddenly she was very upset with him. "Why would you do that? You're the King of Earth!" She demanded and his temper replied to her own.

"This is natural. Things die." He replied in a monotone, his bored eyes observing her livid expressions. She stepped closer, her pale hand brushing the dead trunk of the tree, her fingers feeling the rough cracks in its broken surface. She turned to him still frozen in place with his hand stretched out and hesitated, dismay churning in her bright emerald eyes.

"Can you…can you bring it back?" She asked timidly, almost afraid of the answer as Amaimon tilted his head at her in silent observance.

"It's dead. I can _replace_ it." He replied emotionlessly before a nasty sneer abruptly clouded his face, his teeth and eyes flashing sharply at her. "Would this delusion make you feel better?" He leered and she shrank away from him, her expression disturbed. From the forest another groan suddenly rumbled from its depths and Amaimon's eyes snapped wide open as a shock of animalistic instinct raced down his spine. He could sense the demon well ahead of time and he casually made to step aside from the attack aimed for his body when he came to the sudden unhappy realization that he was still frozen in place. He barely had time to glance up, his body twitching in the effort to move when the massive tendrils of roots smashed into his torso and sent him flying backwards through the air. Amaimon hit the ground in a roll, his tattered cloak flaring around his form as he kicked his booted feet away from the ground in an effort to evade. But it was a wasted effort as the roots snared around his thin waist, twining around his figure in a crushing grip that would've killed any human and with a nasty lurch it wrenched him into the forest.

His body smashed into the ground sending clumps of rich dark earth spraying into the air as the breath left his body. From behind him he could hear Camellia's scream of surprise followed by noisy cries of fear. His nails scrabbled at the earth and he threw himself into a hasty roll to avoid the massive limbs crashing down on top of him. With a huff of indignation he rose to his feet in the crater his body had left behind and shook the soil from his clothes. Before him a massive gnarled tree loomed above his scrawny form, its immense limbs clawing towards the sky, its roots upheaved from the ground and moss streaming from its trunk like wispy spider webs of hair. As he stared emotionlessly at the audacious thing, round beady eyes blinked at him from over a pronounced knot in the wood. It bore no mouth but demons had the innate ability to understand one another and it was undeniably _pissed_.

"_My kinnnnd is summonnnned here…"_It moaned, the words hissing through Amaimon's mind like a strong wind through dead branches. "_…onnnly to be slaugggghtered?_" The tree demon growled angrily, the noise vibrating in their chests, a deep baritone that creaked and rumbled with age. Camellia stopped short as she reached the place where Amaimon had been thrown and she grasped the tree nearest her in surprise, staring up at the towering demon in astonishment. Amaimon straightened his slouched back to his normal lanky height and jutted his chin out stubbornly at the angry demon.

"I may do as I like!" He spat arrogantly, eyes narrowing at the impudent tone of the other demon. The tree gave an enraged groan and its trunk swayed forward, the wood squealing with the movement as its enormous limbs swung downwards, swiping powerfully at him. With a huff Amaimon vaulted into the air, his fingers flexing as he kicked off of the tree and drove his black claws into the wood. The tree gave an ear-splitting keening noise that caused Camellia to wince and she clapped her hands over her ears as the massive severed tree limb thundered to the ground, shaking the earth as it fell.

"What are you doing?!" She shouted, eyes wide in anxiety.

"Killing it." The Earth King replied bluntly, his teeth baring in an aggressive snarl.

"You can't! It's just protecting the forest right? Tell it it's a misunderstanding!" She cried, her fingers seeking out the fabric of her robe before clenching tightly. Amaimon's eyes narrowed in malice and his teeth snapped closed against the apologetic words attempting to force their way up his throat.

"I will kill it!" He growled back, his claws gouging deep groves in the tree demon's bark. His fingers closed around a limb and with a deceptively easy motion he wrenched it free and struck downwards with the chunk of wood in a harsh blow. The tree wobbled, its roots burrowing quickly into the ground to give itself purchase against toppling over as the heavy branches swung downwards in retaliation. Wood splintered in jagged pieces, raining down around them and the tree's moan filled the forest.

"_Always destructivvvve! Humannnnns! Always destroooy!_" It keened, a painful wail filling the undertone of its voice. She could hear the throbbing noise though the words were lost on her and it immediately struck her as horrible how it had been summoned here just to have the demon Prince attack it.

"Don't kill it! I forbid it!" She shouted firmly, a strange decisiveness coating her words with determination. Amaimon sneered, feeling the order slither through his body like an intruding parasite and he felt his fingers twitch inward, curling into a relatively harmless fist. The demon tree lunged forward, its limbs twining with those of trees around it as it found its balance and righted itself with a weighted sway. And suddenly the ground was heaving, wriggling like giant worms were burrowing underneath it and in an explosive movement the earth erupted, dirt spraying in the air as a myriad of roots shot forward, weaving through the air like a volley of lethal arrows. Amaimon's feet hit the ground in an abrupt landing and his blue eyes widened as his head snapped to the side, a root slicing past his cheek with a flick of blood. His boots kicked into the earth, pressing an indent of its sole into the churned soil. His coat fluttered behind him, body twisting through the air and in an abrupt motion he landed directly in front of Camellia, his gaze brushing past her own astonished one as he firmly planted a hand in the middle of her chest and _shoved._

With a cry of shock that caught in her throat and choked off at the sudden lack of breath in her lungs, Camellia tumbled back head over heels in the dirt before landing in a very undignified heap. Something warm and wet flicked across her face and she flinched, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as she pressed her pale hands over her head in an effort to shield herself. She struggled for a silent moment before she finally regained her breath and slowly, very slowly she blinked open her eyes and the world swayed momentarily before it focused on the figure standing in front of her.

"Amai…Prince…" She exhaled, a frantic scream working itself somewhere deep in her throat if she could only just _process_ what was happening around her as she stared up at him. He turned his head slightly, casting a lazy condescending eye over her sprawled form, his lips pressed downward in an irritated frown. Bright red was spattered across one cheek and from his back several roots jutted where they had pierced straight through his body.

**~~~GW~~~**

_**Author's Notice**__**: As always please let me know if anyone seems out of character. I've been rewatching bits of Ao no Exorcist as I find the time so I can grasp everyone's characters again. Has your opinion on Camellia changed any? Let me know of that as well! REVIEWS as always are my motivation, your words and advice give me much needed feedback on my writing and are greatly appreciated! Next chapter is already in the process of being written but please keep in mind that I have classes and am trying to tie all of the plot points together the way I've meant them to come together.**_


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